Explosions
by BelleGiry
Summary: Modern AU. Collection of E/É one-shots. Different scenarios in which they both find themselves falling into something deeper than friendship.
1. Catching Lightning

**_Title_**: _Catching Lightning_

_**Summary**_: _Éponine Thenardier didn't need help. But one night, she did. One stormy night, Enjolras receives a phone call from Éponine, never expecting how things would turn out._

_**Note:**__This is the first one-shot of many to come. This was really interesting for me to write so I really hope you like it, I tried to add my own touch to the characters without changing them too much. A huge thanks to my beta-reader Judybear236 who is still there supporting me, so thanks! Leave your opinions and thoughts about this so I can know if I should go on with this project. Now, let the story begin._

* * *

Everyone knew that she never asked for help. She hated pity, even when they tried to assure her countless times that it wasn't pity, but it was what friends do for each other. She hated charity. She was independent, strong, she didn't need anyone. She had gone throughout all her life without anyone, she had fought to get to where she was, she was brave and witty, stubborn and strong-willed. She didn't need help.

But this time, she did.

When his phone rang late that night, somehow he knew that something was wrong. She never called him that late at night. Christ, she didn't even _call_ him, only when it was barely necessary. She was a strange woman, unique. There was something about her that had always made him curious, was it the way some days her eyes glowed? When others they were dull, dark and mysterious? Was it the way her smile seemed to lighten up all her face? Perhaps it was the way that with just a glare she could silence all the Amis. He wasn't sure, and sometimes, he would find himself spending more time daydreaming about her and with a shake of his head he would return his attention towards the book he was holding. He would tell himself that he couldn't find her beautiful. But deep inside of him, he knew that in a way, she was beautiful.

It had been almost a year since they had begun hanging out together as a group that Courfeyrac noticed for the first time the bruise hidden underneath her large sweater. He shouldn't have asked, because that had earned him a slap on the arm and a week of the cold shoulder on her part. Since that day everyone tried to remain silent whenever she showed up to the Café with a purplish mark on her shoulders, arms, and once, on the juncture between her neck and jaw. They would all exchange a worried look or a frown, but nothing more. They knew she hated pity. Enjolras had tried to ignore the constant feeling inside of his chest that he should do something, she couldn't continue enduring such such abuse, perhaps one day it wouldn't be just a bruise. But she was strong, and she was independent, so she didn't need his help.

But that night it was different. Her phone call interrupted him while he read some notes about the new case he would be working. He answered, confused that of all people, it was she who was calling him. When he picked up, he could hardly hear her whisper. Her voice was broken, drowned by the sound of thunder and rain. He frowned when he heard her voice shaking with what he thought was fear, but then he heard a sob and in a moment he was already in his car, driving full-speed to the location she had given him on the phone. The storm was powerful, the water hitting his car with a deafening sound that made it almost impossible for him to think. It was then when a flash of lightning illuminated the scene enough for him to see the car parked on the side of the deserted highway.

He stopped just behind her car. Taking his jacket off and leaving his lights on, he hopped out of it, the water soaking him to the bone instantly. As he blinked furiously trying to adjust his vision to the darkness, the torrent of water was causing his eyes to flutter close. He narrowed his eyes as he caught sight of the small figure sat on the bonnet of the car. The smell of wet earth and rain filled his senses as he tried to keep his eyes open.

"Éponine?" he called out, his voice drowned by an awful roll of thunder.

She didn't turn around. As he got closer he realized that she was sitting with her legs pulled close to her chest, her head resting on her knees as her damp hair cascaded all around her, creating a curtain that didn't allowed him to see her face properly. He reached the car, and the moment he put a hand over the cold surface, she moved her head slightly.

"Éponine?" he repeated, his tone softer.

"The engine is dead. I came out to check it and locked myself out" she said without looking up. Her voice was hoarse, and for a moment he thought she hadn't spoken at all.

He moved closer to where she was sitting, as if approaching a wounded animal. Éponine was like that, unpredictable, and just by listening to her voice, he knew that something really bad must have happened. With a hand he removed his wet curls from his eyes as he tried to catch a glimpse of her face.

"Let's get inside my car, you'll get sick if we stay here longer" he tried to persuade her.

For a moment he felt something akin to pain invade his chest. He had never seen Éponine like that, so shattered and wounded. After a moment, she straightened and one of her hands flew to her hair, removing it from her eyes slowly. It was then when he saw it. Her upper lip was split, a bruise already forming near her lip, as well as another on her right cheekbone and more on her wrist. Enjolras felt his jaw clench tightly, his hands turning into fists as the sight of her wounded body came into view. Knowing that she wouldn't probably have called him to hear a reprimand, he swallowed the anger that had bubbled inside him and reached the front of the car in long, careful strides.

She looked up, brown meeting blue. Her eyes were watery, a few tears running down her cheeks that could have been easily been mistaken by raindrops. But he knew better. The pain reflected in her eyes was nothing he had ever seen before, dark thoughts tormenting her as she captured her good lip between her teeth, trying to stop a sob that was threatening to escape. Suddenly he felt it; it was like a blow to his chest, which ran from his arms straight to the center of his chest. _Crack. _Something cracked inside of him, making his eyes widen with surprise.

"Please, take me away."

Slowly, he reached a hand towards her, hoping that she would take it. Tentatively, she took it. A jolt of electricity ran up his arms as he trapped her cold and small hand in his warm one, interlocking his fingers between hers. He helped her slide down the wet bonnet in the most tender way he could, holding her by the elbow as her legs faltered underneath her weight. Her eyes were shut, and if it weren't for the falling and rising of her chest, he would have thought that she was sleeping. A flash of lightning illuminated the highway and her grip on his hand tightened with surprise as her eyes fluttered open. As her hair flew around her like a halo, a thought struck Enjolras. If he didn't know better, she certainly could have been Eudora, Greek Goddess of rain. She was powerful, strong, beautiful. She was an enigmatic creature of the night for him. But not that night. She had been Eudora for far too long and now she was showing _him _her vulnerable side, something that thrilled and terrified him at the same time. By the way her hands were shaking, her eyes downcast, her lips trembling, he knew that he needed to take her out of there. He guided her towards the car, and opening the passenger's door, he helped her inside. He rushed towards his side of the car and jumped inside, hurrying to turn on the heat. As soon as warmth began emanating from the vents, Éponine's body began shaking slightly. Carefully, he placed his jacket over her shoulders, for which she thanked with a simple nod. The car came to life with a low buzz and in a moment he was driving back to his apartment.

Silence surrounded them, the rain hitting the windshield being the only thing that made the silence bearable. Every once in a while he stole glances in her direction, feeling anxious every time her eyes fluttered closed or when she touched her bloody lip with one shaky finger tentatively. Her head was resting against the window as she watched the city pass by.

"I like to cry in the rain" she murmured, her voice was still thick with pain "That way no one knows if I'm really crying"

* * *

They climbed the stairs towards his apartment slowly. She was clutching his jacket around her frame tightly trying to keep warm. He opened the door and stepped aside, waiting for her to walk in first. But she didn't move, instead, she motioned him to walk in first. He sighed and stepped inside, turning on a lamp beside his sofa. Enjolras turned around to speak but stopped in his tracks when he saw that Éponine was still standing at the threshold, an insecure expression written in her face.

"Aren't you going to come inside?" he asked, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

"I don't want to get your floor all wet" her voice was barely a whisper as she glanced down to the floor. He needed to lean closer to understand what she was saying "I know you don't like when your apartment gets messy"

And then he felt it again. _Crack. _Another blow straight to his chest which caused him to place hand over his chest to make sure everything was okay. Despite the current circumstances, he felt a smile tugging from the corner of his lips at her words.

"Ep, that's not what I meant, just-" He sighed and ran his fingers through his wet curls "Wait here"

What was going on inside of him? Why did he suddenly have the urge to take Éponine in his arms and hide her away from the world? She was different, probably the only female friend he had ever contact with, because, yeah, he considered her a friend, didn't he? After all, she was part of Les Amis. How many times had he spent listening to Marius's incessant talk about his girlfriend? How many nights had he ended up carrying a very intoxicated Grantaire to his place? How many times had he been the only one to listen to Joly about a new disease that he thought he had? How many times had he been there to pat Jehan's shoulder amiably after watching a romantic movie and the poet ended up crying? Yes, Éponine was his friend, so he could help her too.

He returned to the living room, not surprised when he realized that she was still standing in the threshold.

"Here, you can wear this" he offered her a towel and one of his shirts, the biggest he could find. She grabbed it carefully, looking up at him with a questioning gaze. Enjolras cleared his throat uncomfortably "You can use the bathroom to dry and change. I…uhm, I'll change in my bedroom"

With that he nodded stiffly and walked into his bedroom, closing the door swiftly behind him. Éponine remained frozen to the same spot even when he had walked out of the room, one hand clutching tightly the towel and shirt he had offered. After a moment, she walked in the direction of the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She began the painful task of removing her clothes, beginning with her tattered jeans, the water they had absorbed making them heavier. As she stood in front of his mirror wearing nothing but her undergarments, she observed the bruise already forming on her stomach where her father had struck her.

With great care, she slipped his shirt over her head and gathering her wet clothes, walked out of the bathroom.

"Enjolras, where…" she stopped as she gasped in surprise. Enjolras stood in only his navy blue flannel pajama pants hanging loosely at his hips. His white shirt discarded on the bed. Eponine's eyes flew to her feet before Enjolras could look at her. She wanted to leave, but she was rooted to the spot, unable to look up nor move, in part caused by the burning sensation that shot through her neck as she jerked her head roughly to the ground.

At the sound of his name, he looked up, a dark blush coloring his cheeks at the sight of her. He found himself having to contain a small chuckle at the sight of her small, fragile body, drowning in his shirt. He cursed internally when he realized that the shirt just reached her mid-thigh, leaving miles of long, tanned legs to display. He swallowed hard and averted his eyes, putting on his white v-neck shirt rapidly.

"Where do I put these?" she asked quietly, showing him the pile of clothing she was holding.

"Leave them in the bathroom, I'll dry them out tomorrow"

She turned around and left the room, her footsteps almost inaudible. Enjolras walked out of his room a moment later, his eyes scanning the living room looking for Éponine. He caught sight of her, sitting on the sofa with her back to him. A wave of sympathy rushed through his body at the fragile image of the girl, not accustomed to seeing her in such a vulnerable state. He wasn't good at dealing with feelings and just…emotions in general. But that night there was something different going on.

Éponine was huddled on the couch, her legs propped underneath her as she absent-mindedly watched the flames dancing around the modest fireplace. She brushed her arms in an attempt to provide herself warmth. She heard the heavy steps of Enjolras approaching her, and as he neared her, she looked up to meet his fierce blue eyes. Éponine had always thought that Enjolras was attractive, not in the way that most of the Amis were, but something more. There was a certain impressive air in the way he carried himself, his sculpted jaw always high, that severe expression he always had, a frown always on his face. He was like a marble statue, waves of golden hair perfectly arranged over his face, straight nose which crinkled every time he frowned. But above that, his eyes were the most endearing feature about the man. Blue eyes which were capable of making someone recoil with fear, eyes that sometimes were stormy, others peaceful. There was something commanding about his voice that made everyone obey to his requests, his ability with words was one of the reasons why he was the leader of Les Amis. He was respected, admired, and sometimes feared. Because everyone knew that the marble man, the living Apollo, was also capable of being terrible. But not that night. That night it was different.

He inched closer and knelt in front of her, and it was only at that moment that she realized that he was holding a wet cloth in one hand and what looked like ointment on the other. His eyes were shinning with concern as his gaze traveled down to her split lip, the blood now dry.

"Let me just get that cut clean" he said. It wasn't a question, so she just nodded as he moved closer and pressed the material to her injured skin.

She hissed at the contact and shut her eyes tightly as he rubbed the cloth gently over her upper lip. Rain continued to fall outside, the drumming of the raindrops echoing around his apartment. Enjolras could feel her eyes on him, burning his skin with their intensity. He tensed slightly when he felt her lean into his touch, surprised by the moment of vulnerability she had shown. As soon as her lip was clean, he proceeded to spread some of the ointment Joly had once given him over the bruise that was forming on her cheekbone. He felt her go rigid at the soft pressure of his fingertips against her skin, but she relaxed instantly, her muscles going limp as he rubbed gently. He had never been so close to anyone before, let alone a woman, and the scent of vanilla emanating from her skin was definitely not helping him retain his composed façade.

"Joly gave me this ointment, he thought I might need it in case my muscles were sore. He says I'm always tense and that is causing my neck to go rigid"

Enjolras stood up and walked towards the kitchen, surprised by the instant cold that surrounded him the moment he left her side. Setting aside the cloth, he walked back into the living room and sat beside her, grabbing one of her wrists gently. She kept her eyes on him, startled as how a man that was able to show no emotion could be so…gentle.

Enjolras held her wrist gently as he rubbed some more ointment on the bruises that looked suspiciously like fingers. Silence surrounded them as he continued to apply some of the ointment on her forearm, his frown deepening with every passing minute. He was frustrated that she didn't talk. He thought that at least he deserved some kind of explanation. No one ended up bruised like this unless something bad had happened. Although he knew that Éponine was stubborn and tough, he still couldn't imagine someone harming her in such a manner that she ended up alone on a highway bruised and bleeding. He put the ointment on the table beside the sofa and turned to look at her, waiting for a sign that she was partially all right. But she didn't moved, didn't talked, nothing. So when she talked, barely a whisper, he had to inch closer to catch every word she had murmured.

"Am I a bad person?"

Enjolras felt it again, this time with more force. _Crack. _Her eyes met his, full of unshed tears, glowing with terror, fear, sadness, every single emotion he had never witnessed in her. She was always so strong-willed, witty, and independent. But now he felt that he was meeting a whole new face of Éponine, the _real _Éponine behind the tough façade. But before he could answer, tears were already rolling down her cheeks, words flowing from her lips desperately.

"All my life I have done everything to try to please him. But no matter what I do, or how hard I try, it's never enough, no. I will always be scum to him, no more than dirt. He never cared for me, or for Gavroche, he just cares about his filthy money, not us. Who was the one who won her own money, enough to rent an apartment? Me. I can't move out because he won't let me, he won't let me be better than he ever was. It is me who is always there for Gav, it's me who works her tail off to buy food and clothes for the two of us, I'm not like him! I will never be like him!"

At that point, her body was shaking with violent sobs as tears fell freely down her cheeks. Enjolras stared at her shocked, without knowing what to do. But as her body seemed to give up under pressure, he moved closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, bringing her close to his chest. It felt strange to him to be holding her, this usually strong and stubborn woman, being so broken. He rested his chin atop her hair while one of his arms traced her back gently, attempting to comfort her in any way he could.

"I'm not like them, I'm better. He doesn't own me, he never was a father to me, and he's just a monster!" she sobbed into his chest, her tears damping his shirt. But he didn't care, he thought that at least she deserved someone to be there for her. "He's a drunk who isn't capable of feeling anything, I hate him! Look what he did to me! What he has always done to me…"

His arms tightened around her frame as he breathed deeply trying to swallow the anger that was bubbling inside his throat.

"What happened tonight, Éponine?" he whispered, tilting his head so now his cheek was against her hair, the scent of vanilla and rain-water filling his nostrils as he gazed towards the end of the room, rain falling down, while the dim lights of the city flickered outside the window.

"He was going to hit Gav. I yelled and got in the way" her voice was dark, laced with loathing "I told Gavroche to run and spend the night at Courfeyrac's. He slapped me, but I fought back. He ended up punching me and I ran, grabbed my keys and took off. I don't want to go back there, Enjolras…I can't take it, not anymore"

Her sobs continued, her hands fisting his shirt as she tried to stop crying. She didn't cry, Éponine Thenardier didn't cry. She was strong and brave. She didn't cry, she didn't let anyone see how hurt and wounded she was on the inside. But that night her walls crumbled. She couldn't stand it any longer as she sobbed into the marble man's solid and warm body, his arms making her feel protected. She knew she shouldn't let him see her like that; she couldn't get attached to him. Every time she began trusting someone, she was the one who ended up harmed. But Éponine was tired, tired of being on her own. Perhaps trusting someone wasn't that bad.

"Stay with me, Ep" he blurted out, surprising even himself. But somehow he couldn't stop, so he continued "I-I mean, you don't have to, it's not some kind of obligation, I'm just saying there may be a life here…A new one. You can start all over again, I can help you…you can run away…here, with me."

Enjolras was about to stand up, walking away and hide, why the hell had he even said that? He knew how Éponine felt about getting help from others. Why would it be different this time? He was waiting for her to stand up and start yelling about who did he think he was, that she didn't need any help, to storm out of the room and lock herself in the bathroom. But none of that happened. He felt her tense for a brief moment but then, she relaxed. Éponine buried herself deeper into his embrace as a quiet sob shook her body.

"Let me help you" he whispered against her hair "You don't need to do this alone"

They stayed on the sofa for what seemed hours to him, her head tucked underneath his chin, his arms wrapped protectively around the broken girl as he traced her backbone with his fingertips slowly. At some point, she stopped crying and her body went slack. Enjolras heard her slow breathing and after making sure that she was already asleep, he stood up, scooping her in his arms carefully. She curled her body against his as he walked towards his bedroom, her warm breath tickling his neck every time she exhaled. Enjolras would let her stay however long she needed, here, in his place, she could sleep in his bed and he would stay on his couch, it was comfortable, after all. He felt goosebumps as her hands touched his chest, her nose close to his neck. He never had felt something like this before, the sensation that he could protect her from anything, her warmth comforting him in a way he had never felt before. As he placed her into the sheets of his bed carefully, he admired the way the light of the moon seemed to outline to contours of her face, her sharp cheekbones, and full lips parted slightly as she breathed, her dark raven hair sprawled on the pillow.

With her face now clean from blood and rain, he was able to see her properly for the first time that night. Away was the pain and suffering she had shown for the last few hours, her face was relaxed in a peaceful expression. She was beautiful, he couldn't deny that any longer. He wondered what would have happened should she have not managed to run away from her father, and especially, why did she call _him? _Out of all the Amis, why had she called him? She shifted in her sleep, turning her head to the other side. He frowned as the bruise came into view. No one would harm her again, not if he was there to stop it.

He turned to leave when he felt a tiny hand holding down his wrist. He looked back and his eyes met hers.

"Please, stay"

_Crack. _Another blow to his chest. He was ready to protest, when something in the back of his mind told him, to do as she asked. Going against his nature, he nodded and slipped into the bed by her side. He remained still for a moment, not sure of what to do. He closed his eyes and tried to slow the beating of his heart, his hands clamped to his side as he breathed heavily. He almost jumped out of his skin when he felt her arm over his stomach, her head resting on his chest tentatively. With hesitation, he circled her waist and pulled her into him. She seemed to relax with his touch, drifting back to sleep almost immediately. He fought back the exhaustion he was feeling and remained awake, trying to capture into his memory every single detail about that moment: the way she seemed to fit perfectly into his arms, his hand draped over the curve of her tiny waist, her head over his heart. Ignoring every single barrier and beliefs he had about women, he moved his head closer, a breath away from her peaceful face.

"I'll stay" he whispered. Then, without thinking it, he moved closer and pressed his lips above her brow. He held them there for a long time, before he pulled back.

Closing his eyes, he tried to follow her there, a place where no one could harm her, them. He felt his body going numb, drifting into sleep. But if he had stayed awake a bit longer, he would have witnessed the almost imperceptible smile that appeared on her lips.

* * *

Enjolras woke up to find himself alone in the bed, tangled in sheets. Blinking away the sleep, he let out a soft grunt and sat up, brushing his hand through his hair. Looking around the room, he felt a stab of disappointment as he realized that she had surely already left. It was Éponine, after all, unpredictable, stubborn, independent Éponine. He stood up and walked out of the room, dragging his feet groggily as he made his way towards the kitchen. Perhaps a little coffee would help clear his mind after the night he had had.

But before he could walk further, he caught sight of her. She was sitting on the window seat, her legs bent in front of her as her head rested against the glass, holding a mug of coffee with both hands, her gaze lost somewhere out of the room. Beneath his white shirt, her skin appeared to glow, the dim light of morning sparkling over her. He stood frozen for a while, content to watch her peaceful expression. He felt relaxed, for a moment the worries of last night suddenly forgotten. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee she must have surely prepared earlier. He blew the hot steam from the top of the mug and walked into the next room again.

He slowly approached the window seat. Without looking at him, she slid her legs off the seat. Taking it as a silent invitation he sat down, his back pressed against the glass. He almost choked on his coffee when without a warning, she lifted her legs again and placed them over his thighs, her position being the same she had had when he first entered the room. Enjolras stiffened at the proximity, her long tanned legs over his, the scent of vanilla clouding his senses once more. They remained silent. She, gazing out of the window. He, observing her.

"Did you mean it?" she broke the silence first, her eyes still on the street outside.

"What?" he asked quietly, afraid to break the peacefulness of the moment.

"Runaway with you. Here. Did you mean it?" He had never heard her voice more fragile than at that moment.

"Of course I did, 'Ponine" He dipped his head down to catch her eyes. He moved even closer, his eyes fiercely gazed into hers "I meant every word I said"

Her chocolate eyes seemed to sparkle with the light, and for the first time he noticed the golden freckles they had. Their shoulders were touching, and she tried to ignore the way her heart began beating harder inside her chest.

"Will you stay?" Now it was his time to ask, his voice barely a murmur as he watched her, his eyes never leaving hers.

Éponine remained still as she gazed into his eyes intently, as if trying to understand the reason for his actions. But even he himself could not. He was staring at her as if it were the first time he'd seen her, as if her answer was the most important thing in the world to him. Which, in a way, it was.

A smile cracked in her lips, her dimples appearing almost immediately. It was the most breathtaking thing he had ever witnessed. Her face brightening up, the happiness reaching her eyes.

"Yes"

_Crack._ With another jolt of pain, he felt something inside his chest. As if his heart was about to burst. Suddenly, he was leaning closer, his eyes searching for hers. Without stopping to consider if it was a good idea, he let for the first time his instincts guide him and in a blink of an eye, his lips were on hers. His eyes fluttered closed as his lips brushed hers tentatively, a current of electricity running down their bodies. It was soft, it was fragile, it was light. The kiss ended up too soon, her head resting in his shoulder.

"You know why I called you?" she whispered, her voice soft against his skin. Without waiting for him to answer she spoke again "Because somehow, when you are around, I don't feel broken anymore"

And with that his lips met hers once more.

* * *

He pulled her closer to his body, his finger caressing her cheek. All of a sudden he was kissing her and running his fingers through her hair, placing his hand behind her neck as he pulled her in for another kiss, his body hovering over hers as his hips moved against hers slowly, carefully. The sounds that left her lips made him shiver, a gasp escaping every time he pressed his lips against her collarbone, marking her as his own.

Éponine wasn't fragile, she wasn't delicate, she wasn't inoffensive. But at that moment, underneath him, she was all that. In his arms, she morphed into a completely different creature. Every bruise and scar that marked her body made her who she was, testimony of what she had been through. It made her perfect to him.

He was moving slowly, savouring the feeling of skin against skin, every kiss. "Look at me." Her eyelids, which she had closed despite her resolve of not to, fluttered open. Blue meeting brown. And it's then when they saw each other, as they were, for the first time. The marble had cracked completely, leaving behind a strong, passionate and loyal Enjolras. Her wounds were healing, slowly but effectively, leaving behind a brave, confident and delicate Éponine. She gazed up at him, her fingers moved tracing his jaw, down his neck, leaving his skin burning wherever she touched.

He pulled her arms and pined them above her head, lacing their fingers together. Without thinking about it, he unclasped one of his hands and let it slide down until he reached her stomach. He traced the bruise delicately. He closed his eyes, breathing heavily, trying to pretend that the bruise wasn't there. But it was, and somehow, it proved to him how brave she was, how beautiful she was.

"Look at me." His eyes snapped open, her eyes boring into his. With his free hand he brushed hair out of her face. She was arching up, her feet scratching his lower back. Neither of them could tear their eyes away, the sound of his name leaving her lips bringing him to his end. He had only received a few phone calls from Éponine, but he never imagined that the last one would change his life forever.

In the light of the day, she wasn't Eudora anymore. She was Hemera, goddess of daylight. She wasn't broken, not anymore, not when she was in his arms. As he moved from above her, a smile formed in his lips. Pulling her into him, he traced with his lips the contours of her face, his breath hitting her skin every time he whispered words only she understood. Who would have thought that one day, the fierce creature that was Éponine Thenardier would be his? As she rested her head against his bare chest, placing it over his heart, he placed light kisses on her knuckles.

"You can hide with me" he whispered against her hair, light streaking through the window, darkness forgotten.


	2. Homage to the Musicals

**_Title_**: _Homage to the Musicals_

_**Summary**_: _This was all Courfeyrac's fault. She would have never agreed to paint her face with green color and dress up as a witch. Much less to be the partner of Enjolras: cold, severe, emotionless Enjolras.__  
_

_**Note:**__Here's the second one-shot! First of all I would like to thank all of you, I never thought this little project would get so much appreciation and support. I really enjoy reading your opinions, they make me smile every single time. And to those who just read, I'm still really grateful to all of you. I have the best beta-reader: Judybear236, thank you! Leave your opinions and thoughts about this, it is a little different from the first story, but still I hope you like it and enjoy it. Now, on with the show!._

* * *

"You are absolutely crazy if you think I'm going to leave this apartment dressed like this!"

Éponine's voice boomed from inside Courfeyrac's bedroom. First of all, she had no idea how she had agreed in the first place to dress up for his stupid costume party. All the Amis were waiting in the living room, the scent of hairspray, cotton and plastic filled the whole room. Courfeyrac walked around everyone checking every single detail of the costumes. Every year, the University organized a costume party, but this was the first time they would all go together and compete as a group. Courfeyrac had been the one who had had the idea, and soon he had become the leader. If they won, Courfeyrac would have the opportunity to meet one of his favorite photographers. He needed everything to be perfect, if he wanted them to win the group category, everything needed to be as he had planned it.

But the problem was that no one was helping him with that.

"Come on, Courf, you are going to end up bald" Jehan had tried to stop him from pulling his hair desperately before giving up when he groaned loudly and turned to slap Bossuet on his head.

"The song isn't that way!" he exclaimed completely bewildered.

"Well sorry Mr. Broadway" Bossuet scoffed before walking towards the couch and flopping down by Combeferre's side.

He had spent hours looking for the perfect costumes all around the city, and now his nerves were on edge as the voices of his friends grew louder and louder.

"Come on, Ép" Musichetta pleaded knocking on the door of the bedroom "You look really great, black and green really does suit you!"

Cossette approached the redhead, her high red stilettos making a click sound as she made her way across the room. Her long blonde hair had been pulled up and curled for the occasion, black leggings matching an equally black tight blouse tucked inside her leggings secured with a black belt. Courfeyrac had been pleased the first time he saw her, she sure resembled Sandy from Grease. Meanwhile on the other corner of the room, Marius, who was dressed as Danny, was sitting at Combeferre's side, his black pants and tight shirt making him look quite funny. His freckled face was clear, his hair slicked back with humongous amount of hairspray and mousse, with the exception of the front part, which was up in a very complicated quiff he had.

"Sweetheart, Courfeyrac will have an aneurism if you don't come out" Cossette started knocking and pleading with Musichetta.

"Joly, could you please stop tugging at the mask? It is already clean!" Courfeyrac groaned as he slapped Joly's hand away from the white Phantom of the Opera's mask.

"You never know!" the med student cried, discreetly pouring some sanitizer on his hands.

"You are impossib-Marius stop trying to kiss Cossette or I swear I'll change your costume to Edna Turnblad!"

Marius stared at him blankly while Bahorel, dressed up as Clyde, shaped his fingers into a gun and placed it atop his temple, earning a snort from Joly.

"Grantaire, could you please stop licking everyone? You are not a real cat!"

The black haired boy raised his chin defiantly, scratching the back of his fake ear. Courfeyrac already regretted giving to the most immature man the most impressive costume. He was going as _Rum Tum Tugger_, from Cats, the vain cat with an impressive mane. Apparently Grantaire had watched videos of his character, because he was now crawling all around the room, purring at people or licking their hands, he had even begun singing "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats" as he sat on the kitchen's table. But one thing that Courfeyrac needed to admit was that Cossette had done a pretty great job in painting his face all orange with a feline nose and mouth.

"As long as I am wearing this costume, I _am _a Jellicle cat" the man scoffed.

"Can someone please make Éponine come out? We really need to get going in ten minutes!"

Courfeyrac was practically bouncing all around the room, and the fact that he hadn't seen Éponine's costume and make-up was driving him crazy.

"She'll come out eventually" Combeferre tried to assure him as he skimmed through the pages of the fake book of Mormon he was holding.

The philosophy student was supposed to be Elder Price, his black tie hanging over his white shirt, which had the tag, _'Hello. My name is Elder Price'_ pinned to it. Courfeyrac himself had chosen a simple character, Mark, from Rent. His fake glasses were sliding down the bridge of his nose, the scarf choking him constantly or getting trapped in a doorknob.

"Grantaire, you start nibbling my scarf one more time and I swear to God-"

As soon as the words have left his mouth, the door of the bedroom creaked open and the whole room fell quiet. Éponine stepped, out, her face downcast as she waited for the imminent roar of laughter. When she realized that none of that was going to happen, she looked up curiously.

Courfeyrac almost threw himself on the floor and began crying at the sight of Éponine. She looked absolutely perfect. She was wearing a long black dress, the sleeves reaching her wrists. The material outlined her natural curves, glitter and spangles all over the dress. But what surprised everyone the most was the green color on her face and hands. She was the _perfect _Elphaba.

"I could have been Evita or Velma Kelly, you know?"

"What? Are you crazy? You look spectacular!" Courfeyrac cried as he approached the girl with long strides.

He circled her as if examining a piece of art, a finger on his mouth as he muttered things to himself. Éponine looked up, her gaze travelling all around the room as she watched amazed her friends. Musichetta was giggling excitedly, her white nightgown bouncing up and down as she clapped. She was standing at Bossuet's side, who was supposed to be Raoul, while she was Christine and Joly the Phantom. Courfeyrac had chosen well the Broadway musical for them.

But she wasn't looking at them. She was looking at the person behind them.

Enjolras was standing in the corner, his back resting on the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. His brow was furrowed as he tried to see her properly among the persons in front of them. With a heavy sigh, he straightened and began walking in her direction.

The first time Courfeyrac mentioned costume and party in the same sentence, Enjolras was already halfway through the door before Courfeyrac ran and stopped him, practically tangling himself on the law-student's leg and began begging. Enjolras had rolled his eyes and said that his only condition was that he wouldn't use make up and that nothing would touch his hair. But he had forgotten everything about tight outfits. And now he was paying the price. He fisted the material of the pants he was wearing, trying to create some space between his skin and the fabric, but when the material flew back to his legs and collided with his skin with a sharp sound, he groaned and decided to give up.

Courfeyrac had told him days later that Éponine and he would be partners during the contest, but until that night, Enjolras hadn't seen Éponine all dressed-up. How could someone look astounding when all her face was covered in green? While he tried to remain expressionless, he took in every detail of her. Her long black hair cascading around her, the gown which was supposed to be the one of a witch looking great on her, her lean delicate frame twirling as everyone murmured complimentary words. Musichetta looked pleased with the results of the make-up she had done. The green just achieved to make her cheekbones look sharper, every time she smiled, her dimples more pronounced than ever, her white teeth bright against the dark color of her skin. He tried to ignore the fact that she was hypnotizing.

"Come now, Fiyero!" Courfeyrac squeaked turning around frantically looking for him.

"You know, Courf…" Enjolras began.

Courfeyrac's eyes widened and almost screamed in frustration "There is no character in the Broadway universe that fights for freedom and justice, Enjolras! There still isn't a musical where a revolutionary has the main role! So it is Fiyero or Link Larkin, your choice!"

Enjolras's eyebrows were almost invisible underneath his curls "I was only going to say that I actually like this character"

"Good, because you two look exactly as Fiyero and Elphaba should"

And with that he turned around and began screaming at Grantaire who was playing with Joly's cape. Éponine moved slowly to stand beside Enjolras, clamping her green hands together in front of her. It was one thing to agree to be Elphaba for this stupid contest, but it was quite another to be the partner of Enjolras: cold, emotionless, severe Enjolras. After listening to Courfeyrac's incessant rambling on how they both would look spectacular in those costumes and almost making the man kneel in front of her, she agreed with a groan. But she wasn't counting the fact that he looked quite good in that costume.

"You weren't going to say that, were you?" Éponine whispered without taking her eyes off Courfeyrac who was now showing Marius how to strut properly.

"Nope" Enjolras answered, turning around to look at her "I was going to say that I feel _really _uncomfortable with these pants."

Éponine stifled a giggle as she took a step back to get a better look at the marble-man. He was wearing Fiyero's costume when he sings "As Long as you're Mine" (Yes, despite everything, Éponine was a fan of Wicked) He had dark green trousers, which reached his mid-waist. Brown suspenders above his olive-green shirt and black boots. He looked exactly as Fiyero should.

"Well, they look really good" she declared patting his chest amiably "Not every man can pull off those pants and look good and manly at the same time."

Enjolras chuckled "Not all girls can look good with their faces painted in green"

"At least you aren't a witch" Éponine scoffed twisting the black hat she was holding.

"I've always loved this couple" Jehan sang as he approached them cheerfully "It shows that love is capable of anything!"

He was dressing as a news-boy, Jack Kelly to be precise, from Newsies. With his dark grey cap and vest, he did looked exactly as the character was supposed to be. Not to mention the bag he was holding with at least eight newspapers inside of it.

"You don't know what happens to him, do you?" Enjolras questioned raising an eyebrow.

"What happens to him?" Jehan asked pressing a hand to his mouth with fear.

"I want everyone out of the apartment and into the cars right now!" Courfeyrac shouted as he began pushing people out of his place.

"Poor unfortunate soul" Éponine sang with a wink, patting his shoulder with pity before dragging Enjolras by the hand out of the apartment.

"No! Wait!" the young man began squeaking nervously as he tried to reach the pair, screaming above the voices "What happens to Fiyero?"

"Ask Courfeyrac!" Éponine answered loud enough for him to hear it before she laughed.

Jehan turned around looking for Courfeyrac desperately. The man was standing in the threshold counting the tickets, the glasses sliding down his nose again.

"Courf, what happens to Fiyero?" Jehan asked in a fragile voice, as if he was afraid of the answer.

Courfeyrac looked up surprised, his eyes widened and then smiled sympathetically before placing an arm over the poet's shoulders and making him walk down the hall.

"Do you know the story of Dorothy?"

* * *

"I think I'm going to be sick" Éponine muttered turning around and placing a hand on the wall.

"Oh, come on, Ép!" Cossette said rubbing her hand on the green-girl's back "You have the most impressive costume out of all of us!"

"Hey!" Grantaire scoffed reproachfully.

"Well, besides the kitten" Cossette giggled quietly so that the man couldn't listen to her.

Éponine smiled and straightened "You've got to admit 'Taire, you look adorable in that costume"

Jehan, who had only recovered himself from the shock about Fiyero's fate, bounced excitedly at Éponine's side.

"Told you!" Jehan grinned "I could totally write a poem about your fur and lovely ears…"

"I'm not _adorable_" Grantaire pouted like a child.

"Bet that if I give him yarn he would begin playing with it" Bahorel muttered with a chuckle.

Grantaire straightened and began twisting and twirling the long cat's tail of his costume in front of him "At least I don't die at the end of my show…"

"Could you two shut up!" Courfeyrac hissed exasperatedly before turning around and peeking behind the curtain again.

"You look exactly like Elphaba" Enjolras said absent-mindedly as he came to stand at Éponine's side.

"Is that a compliment? Or should I be offended by the fact that you just called me a witch?" Éponine smirked.

"I didn't mean it that way" Enjolras looked down at her, his voice tinged with regret.

"I know, I know" Éponine chuckled before looking around the place "I just feel ridiculous."

"You don't _look _ridiculous" Enjolras said as if it was the obvious thing, his expression darkening at his next words "Take it from the guy wearing leggings."

Éponine couldn't hold back a laugh, startling Enjolras as he observed fascinated how her face brightened and her dimples appeared.

"I'm just scared of falling down, tripping with the stupidly long dress" she scoffed tugging at the hem of the dress.

"I won't let you fall" he assured her with a solemn expression.

Éponine felt her heart quicken suddenly, surprised that he could actually make her feel that way. Could it be that…No, it couldn't be. With a shake of her head she cleared her thoughts and smiled at him fondly.

"I still don't understand why you hate Fiyero" she said confusedly.

Before he could answer, the sound of Courfeyrac shrieking nervously made them look to the other side of the room. The young man was mumbling as Jehan and Joly tried to calm him down.

"There are still two more groups until it's our turn" Joly tried to assure him, the white mask moving as he spoke.

"Yeah, the Star Trek group and the Doctor Who group" Jehan observed.

"Their costumes are fantastic" Courfeyrac groaned sadly.

"What are you talking about?" Bossuet scoffed "Their Spock looks like a bad imitation of an Oompa Loompa"

"Courf, you're cutting off the circulation in my arm" Joly said with panic.

"That's right!" Bahorel cheered Bossuet "And that one looks like a smurf!"

"Calm down, sweetie, we are going to win" Musichetta interfered stroking Courfeyrac's cheek sweetly meanwhile Joly ran to the other end of the room rubbing his arm anxiously.

"He is going to have a heart-attack if he doesn't calm down" Enjolras mumbled rolling his eyes.

"Tell me about it, stud" Cossette chuckled.

The blonde walked towards Courfeyrac, Marius following close behind. Courfeyrac seemed to relax as Combeferre ordered him to inhale and exhale.

"Wow, I had never seen him like that before" Éponine mumbled.

"Yeah, imagine the time he wanted to get tickets for Idina Menzel's concert" Enjolras smirked darkly "We almost had to tie him to the chair."

"Wow" Éponine breathed and then whistled quietly "He is a serious case, then"

The girl observed with a smirk on her lips how Courfeyrac nodded to whatever Combeferre was saying, his glasses sliding down his nose. Even Grantaire was standing in front of him trying to cheer him up as he pretended to lick his own fake paw (or that was what Éponine wanted to believe). After a moment she gazed up to meet Enjolras' blue stare.

"So…" she cleared her throat "You were about to explain why do you hate Fiyero so much?"

"I don't _hate _him" Enjolras replied peevishly "I just don't like the way he dresses. Despite the fact that he is really vain, shallow and a little dumb, I actually like the character."

"Really?" Éponine asked surprised.

"Really" Enjolras nodded.

"And what do you like exactly about him?" Éponine challenged with a smirk.

"Well…" Enjolras' eyes sparkled with the glint Éponine was too familiar with. The way his eyes sparkled before he began a speech "For what I know about Fiyero, he is the prince of the Vinkus, am I right?" Éponine nodded and he continued "In that case, he is soon to be king and he is constantly under a lot of pressure, they live in a world were the ones who are different and try to make a change are punished and silenced. The oppression is one of the main things that makes Fiyero develop this _fake _personality, a douchebag, if you want. He probably would have been rejected if he showed who he truly was. He tries to hide what he feels and decides that the best option was to pretend that there are no problems, like he sings in "Dancing through Life", he practically says that nothing matters, the only important thing is not to worry, to don't try."

Éponine chocolate eyes were wide as she listened with her jaw slack, a look of pure fascination as the lawyer-to-be took a deep breath and continued.

"His ignorance is practically the sign of his discomfort and unhappiness. But then he begins feeling something for the town outcast, and that scares him. He sees himself in Elphaba, and he falls in love with the fact that she doesn't let anyone bring her down, she's strong and independent and doesn't care what others think. And he ends up sacrificing his looks, which had been the most important thing for him, to save her. That shows how his priorities changed and his sense of justice. So that's exactly why I like him, because he fought to save himself and the one he loved."

Enjolras finished with a deep sigh and leaned back onto the wall, the fire still burning in his eyes. Éponine gaped at him like a fish out of water, closing and opening her mouth without managing to form a coherent sentence.

"Dammit, Enj, I told you to give me a reason and you just gave me a complete analysis of the character! I think you should meet Norbert Leo Butz and discuss the meaning of Fiyero's emotional evolution through the whole play! " Éponine said incredulously.

Enjolras chuckled "Thank you, I guess."

"No, really!" Éponine continued excitedly "If I had known earlier that you really liked Wicked I would have tried to get tickets for the play so you could've come with me!"

A dark red colored the tips of his ears and he rubbed the back of his neck "I actually have two tickets, my dad sent them to me a few days ago, I was thinking on giving them to Courf, but you know-if you want to-I mean…we could…"

"Yes!" she squeaked launching herself towards his body, circling his neck with her arms "Yes I would love to!"

He barely had time to close his arms around her before she was already stepping away, a look of discomfort in her face. Enjolras was about to apologize when she began scratching her arm furiously, her green hands flying all around her body.

"You know, as much as I love Courfeyrac and Elphaba, this dress is so uncomfortable! My whole body is itching!" she complained as she twirled trying to reach her back. She stopped in her tracks and met his gaze, a shameful expression "Would you mind?"

Enjolras chuckled and step forward to scratch the area where she had instructed. To his surprise, he found the material to be delicate, probably it was silk, but at the same time it was heavy by the weight of the spangles.

"You know guys, as much as I love this couple, this is the funniest thing I've ever witnessed" Jehan said casually looking at them with interest "Yup, Fiyero scratching Elphaba's back. Definitely going to write a poem about this. Even though you are a witch, I know your weakness, because your dress is itchy…"

Éponine rolled her eyes as the news-boy walked away murmuring words to himself. When Enjolras made the move to stop, she slapped his hand and motioned him to keep going. The man chuckled and continued to scratch her back.

"This is better than Grantaire massaging my feet" she murmured softly letting her head fall forward, a slow purr escaping her lips "How much do you want me to pay so you can scratch my back every day?"

Enjolras grinned "Free of charge"

"Have I told you how much I love you lately?" She asked pensively.

"No. Now shut up and let me scratch your back." She snorted but obeyed as he continued.

"_And now, our last group!" _

A powerful voice boomed around them as the presenter began explaining the theme Courfeyrac had chosen. From that, everything was blur. Éponine straightened, almost knocking Enjolras down. Joly began hyperventilating while Musichetta and Bossuet tried to straighten his mask. Cossette tried to put on her high stilettos with Marius's help while Jehan ran around the room looking for a newspaper he had lost. Grantaire bolted across the room to the other corner where he balled himself and began singing _Memory. _Bahorel hurriedly grabbed Grantaire by his tail and forced him to stand near the curtain. Courfeyrac, on the other hand, was frozen on the same spot, his eyes staring blankly at nothing.

"Come on, guys, everyone form a line, we are next" Combeferre ordered when he realized that Courfeyrac was neither able to move nor speak.

Surprisingly, Grantaire was the first one to obey, everyone moving to stand behind him. Enjolras dragged a frozen Éponine to the line. After what seemed ages, Courfeyrac seemed to react and began running between everyone, tightening Bahorel's tie, straightening Joly's mask, brushing Grantaire's fur nervously, just before Jehan pulled him by the arm to stand in the front with a reassuring smile.

"_And here we have them! Mr. Courfeyrac's group: Broadway musicals!"_

The audience burst into applause as the curtain parted open and they began walking.

"Your hat!" Enjolras murmured hurriedly before taking the hat from her hands and placing it carefully over her head.

Éponine blinked furiously as she tried to adjust her eyes to the blinding lights of the reflectors. She felt Enjolras' hand brush hers and then capture it gently. She looked up to meet his gaze, confident and reassuring. She nodded, the sensation of his hand holding hers making her feel less nervous. He wouldn't let her fall. He squeezed her hand gently. She squeezed it back, a smile on her green lips.

* * *

She took a deep breath as the cool air of the night hit her face. She walked slowly to the railing, resting her green hands over the cool metal. The lights of the city flickered around her, giving her the peace she needed after standing in front of an audience with her face painted in green, the hot lights of the reflectors making her feel uncomfortable as it burned through the fabric of the dress. After a moment, she heard someone walk into the yard and approach her from behind. Without turning around, she already knew who it was.

"Everyone loved you" he said quietly and she could practically see him smiling behind her.

"Well" she began turning around with a smirk "Elphaba was about to grab a broom and fly away the moment Rum Tum Tugger began dancing around her"

Enjolras chuckled but then his expression changed "Are you okay?"

"Yeah" she murmured "Just suffocated, this dress is really uncomfortable"

"Someone smacked my bum as I walked by" he offered with a thoughtful expression "Would you like to change costumes? I would gladly use that dress"

"Should I be concerned by the fact that you just offered to wear a _dress_?" she asked raising an eyebrow as a giggle escaped from her lips.

"Not at all" Enjolras answered innocently "I just want to protect the masculinity I have left"

Éponine burst into laughter "Believe me, the one who should be concerned with his masculinity right now is Grantaire"

Enjolras laughed, a deep, musical sound Éponine had always secretly enjoyed.

"Yeah, he was dancing with another cat when I left" He said with a worried expression.

"Perhaps he could start his own Aristocats show" Éponine said with a smirk.

"But now, no jokes, everyone was really astonished with you" he said with a smile "In the good way."

"Well, thank you, Fiyero" Éponine answered with a slight bow.

Enjolras chuckled and moved to stand beside her, silence surrounding them. They stood there for a moment, before Enjolras let out a muffled chuckle. Éponine looked up with a questioning face.

"What's so funny?"

"I was just wondering…how are you going to take off all that paint?" He mocked signaling her face with a grin.

"I actually have no idea" Éponine huffed indignantly "I've tried everything since we stepped down from the stage, soap, a handkerchief, I rubbed until it hurt and nothing."

With an expression of wonder, Enjolras raised his hand slowly, placing his fingertips on her cheekbone as he began rubbing gently her skin. She stared at him mutely, her eyes searching for his. But he didn't look at her, he kept his gaze focused on her cheek, rubbing the same spot for what seemed hours for both of them.

Without a warning, his eyes met hers, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

"It doesn't come off" he whispered, his voice hoarse.

"Told you" she answered quietly.

They kept looking at each other, his hand still on her cheek. Slowly, he reached his hand and rested it on her waist. She felt her breath catch in her throat as he almost imperceptibly leaned closer.

"What are you doing to me?" Enjolras whispered.

Éponine laughed softly "I'm doing nothing"

"I've fallen under your spell" He mused inching closer.

His breath brushed her face as her eyes fluttered closed, his lips were inches from hers when suddenly she opened her eyes with panic and leaned back.

"Wait!" she whispered desperately.

"What is it?" he asked quietly with worry. Had he offended her somehow? She didn't wanted him to kiss her? He felt his face heat with embarrassment.

"I…I don't want to smear your face with green" she said apprehensively.

Enjolras smile brightly before cupping her cheek once again "It won't"

And with that he covered her lips with his, his hand finding its way to her hip. Éponine circled his neck with her arms, her fingers threading through his curls as she pulled him closer to her. He smiled against her lips, heat spreading all over his body. The kiss shook them to their very cores, and soon, he broke it, resting his forehead on hears.

As they tried to calm down their beating hearts, they were vaguely aware of the voice of the presenter giving an award to the group that had ended on second place. Without a warning, Éponine began laughing quietly. Enjolras straightened and met her gaze with a questioning eyebrow.

"What?" he asked with a short laugh.

"Probably it will be too cliché if I say it but…" she took a deep breath and met his gaze "For the first time, I feel…wicked."

They both turned around to the sound of clapping, meeting a bouncing Jehan standing near the doors.

"Holy Jesus, you both deserve a Tony!" he squeaked clapping enthusiastically "That was _beautiful, _guys!"

At that moment, the roar of the audience made Jehan turn around, just to then begin cheering excitedly with the rest of the people. Enjolras and Éponine looked at each other curiously before Jehan returned his attention to them.

"We won! We won!" Jehan shrieked with joy before changing his expression to one more serious "Now keep doing what you were doing before I interrupted you."

And with that he disappeared in the sea of people. Éponine felt Enjolras shift by his side as she looked at the direction in which Jehan had disappeared just seconds before, a proud smile in her lips. When she felt his gaze, she turned around and looked up. She was met with the biggest smile on his lips she had ever seen. His eyes were sparkling, blue that looked almost grey.

She couldn't let out a giggle because he had already crashed down his lips against her once more.


	3. Will You Love Me?

**_Title_**: _Will You Love Me?  
_

_**Summary**_: _Éponine and Enjolras weren't friends. At least that's what everyone thought. Their fights were something all the Amis enjoyed, screaming matches neither of them could win. But what happens when Enjolras starts getting curious about her? What happens when he discovers that she is the only one who can help him?  
_

_**Note:**__And I'm back! This story is completely different to the last one, but still I hope you'll like it. I decided to split the story in two chapter, it was impossible to cut my train once I began writing this. As always I tried not changing them too much, still adding some of my own stuff. Massive thanks to my amazing beta-reader Judybear236, your opinions are gold! You are awesome! I would like to know what you think about this, your opinions and thoughts are a massive part of this story. Thanks to those who take time to read this, this one is for all of you. Now, let's begin._

* * *

Their fights were legendary. Every time one of them rose up from where they were sitting, everyone would sat back and enjoy the spectacle. The screaming match would last until one of them left the Café or the other decided to shut up and ignore the other. Enjolras was the leader of Les Amis, a group of students which organized rallies, protests and campaigns in order to promote their ideas about freedom, equality and justice. When they weren't out on the streets rallying the people or giving flyers all around, they would gather in the Café Musain. Since their first year at college, the Musain had become their meeting spot, the place where they would relax, study, and every night, discuss a certain topic.

As the leader, Enjolras would choose the subject of their discussion, and after that, the argument would evolve from there. The only thing that Enjolras wasn't counting on was Éponine.

Éponine was a student from psychology. She was also the barista from the Musain. She was a petite brunette, with tanned skin and wide chocolate eyes, which could be capable of killing with just one look or persuade anyone to do anything with another. But that was not the reason why Enjolras felt exasperated every time she talked. Yes, she was a very sweet girl when she wanted to be, sometimes even funny. She was witty and stubborn, something all the Amis rather enjoyed, except when she reduced one of them to tears with her sarcastic replies. Despite all of that, Enjolras did enjoy her presence.

But that was until she began challenging him.

That night everyone was left speechless when she decided to question the methods he was suggesting on using to help students who were attending school on scholarship grants. Éponine's head snapped up and in a moment, both of them were on their feet screaming words at each other, cheeks flushed and eyes burning with anger. From that night on, it was almost weird when their meetings didn't end with them fighting. Grantaire had once whispered something about "sexual tension", and Courfeyrac decided to form a heart with his hands, pointing at the fighting pair in front of them with a wink. Even Jehan had once written a poem about how the next step of hate was love.

But they were all wrong. Enjolras and Éponine were far from falling in love with each other.

They barely acknowledge one another outside of the Café, and they would only talk to the other when it was barely necessary. But that changed on a Saturday morning. Éponine didn't work during the weekends, so she would often grab a book and head towards the Musain. She saw him reading a book in deep concentration, sitting near the window with a cup of coffee in front of him. Éponine knew that the man was an avid reader, probably managing to read a book per week. Even though Éponine would've enjoyed the company of one of the Amis during that morning, she was completely sure that Enjolras was not that guy.

She knew he hadn't noticed her come in, and if he had, probably he would only ignore her. The night before, their traditional fight had been over when he stormed out of the building, leaving the girl behind furious. As Éponine waited in line to order her Cream Frappuccino (Coffee always gave her a terrible headache) she pondered if he would mind her company. With a shake of her head she quickly dismissed the idea. He would _never _want her company. Everyone had always said to her that he was emotionless, cold, serious, severe …practically, that he was made from marble. That description might scare some other girl, but not Éponine. She knew that he was introverted, silent and sometimes rude, but aside from that, he was a nice guy when he wanted to be.

Enjolras had noticed her as she walked in. He felt his blood stir in his veins at only the sight of her, the memories of their last fight still fresh in his memory. At first, he had been quite impressed when the brunette had interrupted him during one of his speeches, surprised that someone would question his ideas. But as the days went on, he began growing frustrated with the girl every time she opened her mouth. She always had something to say, challenging him in a way no one had ever done before. Sometimes she would even use psychology against him, while he tried to maintain his composed façade, but failing miserably when a frown appeared on his face.

His eyes followed her while she took a cup of a drink he had never tasted before, her dark hair hanging in wavy layers down her back. She walked to a seat in the corner of the Café and from her bag, pulled out a book. Enjolras tried to see properly the cover of the book, but unable to make out the title, he averted his gaze, not wanting anyone to catch him staring. He continued to read his book, groaning quietly when he realized that he wasn't understanding a single word he was reading. Enjolras knew that the night before he had gone quite far during their argument, and he had known that the exact moment he realized she was about to slap him. He wasn't a bad guy, he had been raised to be a gentleman, and he knew that he needed to apologize.

Éponine settled deeper into the couch, drinking her Frappuccino slowly and enjoying the sweet flavor on her tongue as her eyes flew from a word to another. She hadn't noticed him until she heard someone clear his throat. She looked up confused, surprised when she met a pair of clear blue eyes.

"Uh, hey Éponine" He greeted with a nod of his head.

"What? You want to keep telling me how my _inferior knowledge _isn't helping your cause?" She snapped, her eyes never leaving the book she was holding.

Enjolras felt his blood boil, but fought to swallow the anger in his throat "No."

"So what do you want?" she asked dryly.

"Actually, this was a mistake" He said, turning around to glance at the other side of the room "Sorry I interrupted you."

And with that he turned around completely and walked towards his seat fuming. That had been the first conversation they had ever had without yelling at each other. And still, they both had managed to end up angry. The next Saturday, however, Enjolras decided to ignore her. She noticed him in his usual spot that morning, and after an internal argument with herself, she decided to approach to him.

"Can I sit here?"

She didn't sit down, deciding to wait for his response. When his only reply was a shrug of his shoulders, she pulled out the chair and sat down. They read in silence, neither of them daring to speak first. Enjolras enjoyed the mornings when he would just drink coffee and read, but the fact that there was someone else with him made him feel quite nervous. Éponine looked at him from behind her book, frustrated by the fact that he didn't seem disturbed by her presence.

"So" she cleared her throat and rested her elbows on the table, taking a sip of her Frappuccino "What are you reading?"

He barely looked up from his book, just moving slightly so she could see the cover properly. She stifled a giggle when she read _Pride and Prejudice _written in golden letters elegantly across the dark blue surface.

"Me too!" she gasped excitedly turning her book around so he could see it.

He rose and eyebrow mockingly "Are you enjoying it?"

She shrugged and leaned back drinking from her cup eagerly "I always do. This is my fifth time reading it."

"Really?" he asked, trying to hide the surprise in his voice.

"Yup" she beamed "I have a thing for Mr. Darcy"

Enjolras blinked. He stared at the young woman in awe and had to inhale deeply to keep himself in check. He was sure she had never smiled, well, not at him specifically. And he found the whole experience quite breathtaking, the way her whole expression morphed and a bright smile formed on her lips, her dimples appearing and making her look younger than she was.

He closed his book and leaned forward "Éponine…about what happened a week ago…"

"Stop" she ordered raising a hand "Let's forget that. Sometimes I'm not really in a good mood, others I am, but you just bother me"

His eyes widened as a frown appeared on his face as he muttered quietly "Sorry."

"I was only joking, pretty-boy" she stated with a chuckle leaning forward "I like nagging you, in case you haven't noticed"

"Sometimes you are really frustrating" he mumbled before placing his lips over his cup.

"I was born to annoy you" she said casually leaning back in her chair and opening her book once more.

He chuckled "I could say the same."

And from that day on, they continued to sit together every Saturday morning, reading in silence and enjoying each other's company (although neither of them would ever admit it). Despite their morning meetings, nothing changed when they were with the Amis. They would still shout at each other and defend their points of view. Then, one morning after she had stormed out of the Musain furiously, he approached their table and put a cookie in front of her. Éponine took it as a silent apology and smiled, cracking the cookie in two and sliding the other half to him.

Enjolras never thought that he would find her company pleasant, but he rather enjoyed the small talks they would share, getting to know each other with each spoken word. But there was something about the girl that always had made him curious. She didn't share much about her past with him, the only thing he knew was that she had won a scholarship and that she lived in the dorms, sharing the room with Marius' girlfriend, Cossette. But besides that, he didn't know anything more. Slowly, both of them began opening up more, although neither of them was aware of that. He shared with her small facts about his childhood, why he had decided to study Law, his favorite books or movies. She shared her favorite things to do, her favorite places, she even had given him book recommendations, and he had done the same. Every Saturday morning they would read the same book, and after a while they would began talking and learning more from the other. Little did they know that his marble was cracking and her ice was melting.

* * *

It was two months later that he began to notice during the day that he would be watching her from a distance, as she prepared coffee, wiped down the counter or tables. As he continued his silent observation, he had started to notice things about her. How she always wore a bracelet in her right hand. How she would always get her books out and do homework whenever she could. Little things that nobody else but him would notice. Enjolras suddenly was aware that she would be absent for a couple of hours, returning to the Musain the exact moment he would always begin their meetings. Enjolras tried to ignore the little voice in his head that told him to stay away. But as always, he felt curious.

He decided to follow her, against his better judgment, and grabbing his bag stiffly, he walked out of the Musain. Looking around for any familiar faces, he caught quickly sight of her. She was walking down the street, a huge brown box in her arms as she made her way through the crowd. _I must be crazy_, he thought. Taking a deep breath, he followed her from a safe distance. He was completely sure that if she discovered him she wouldn't be pleased. It wasn't until she walked into an alley that he noticed that she wasn't wearing her usual clothing. Instead she had a large shirt, the shirttails knotted in front. She wore a pair of old jeans and brown boots, her dark waves hidden under a cap. He frowned but kept walking, stopping to hide every time she turned around or knelt between alleys, placing something on the floor, then the sound of the flash of a camera and finally she would wave goodbye and keep walking.

When she turned around the corner, he walked hurriedly to peek into one of the alleyways she had entered. A homeless old man was sitting against the wall, chewing slowly what seemed like a donut, a box of juice with a straw beside him. Enjolras frowned, his heart beginning to beat faster as he caught sight of another man resting on the opposite wall, nibbling pieces of a muffin, another juice box by his side. Taking the loose change he had in his pockets, he gave it to the men and kept walking, a deep frown in his face, lost in his thoughts.

She was feeding the homeless and poor. Éponine Thenardier, the girl who worked double shifts to earn money to survive, was spending what she earned on others. Enjolras felt a rush of adrenaline surge through his body as he realized that they all had underestimated her, every time they discussed the homeless, she had been the one who had been right. And this had been the proof that she was better than all of them. Éponine Thenardier knew more than any of the Amis would know, she knew more than Enjolras would ever know.

He stopped when he heard low voices coming from somewhere up ahead. Stepping slightly behind a garbage can, he knelt and narrowed his eyes as he caught sight of her. Éponine was kneeling in front of an old woman, a warm smile in her lips as she listened to the woman who was chatting animatedly, a scone in her bony hands.

"I brought your favorite" Éponine stated with a smile.

The woman giggled happily, as if she had suddenly forgotten how bad her life truly was. "My dear 'Ponine, you know me too well! Why don't you sit and eat with me?"

"Pattie, you know I need to visit the others" Éponine sighed, although she was already sitting down on the damp floor.

"So tell me, sweetie, how's university going?" the old woman asked as she chewed the scone soundly.

"As always" Éponine answered sipping some juice from the box "Have you seen Marcel lately?"

"The last thing I heard was that the kid had been caught stealin' from a bakery" The old woman answered with a shake of her head.

Éponine sighed "Things are going worse and worse every day…"

"But what about your friends? That group of boys you always tell us about? Don't you think they will help us?"

Enjolras felt his breath catch in his throat at the words of the old woman. Éponine had been telling them about Les Amis? He looked around, his mouth suddenly dry. She had been working on the cause more than any of them. She had known the people, and the people knew her. Somehow she even had talked about the cause.

"I don't know, Pattie, I really hope they will" Éponine whispered patting the old woman's arm fondly.

"Well, enough of sad things" Pattie said reproachfully with a wave of her hand "Now tell me, has someone already managed to steal that big heart of yours?"

Éponine laughed, a dark blush coloring her cheeks "You are crazy, Pattie!"

"I might be, 'Ponine, but still I can't believe that no one notices you!" The old woman complained popping the last piece of her scone into her mouth.

"Well, you better believe it because it's true" Éponine stated with a smile that didn't reached her eyes.

"You will see, someday love will come, perhaps it is already there and you just haven't noticed" Pattie said with a smile, showing her two missing teeth.

Éponine chuckled "Maybe I will die alone with 27 cats."

"And what about those friends of yours? I can't believe that they don't notice you!" The old woman insisted somewhat childishly.

"They don't, Pattie, to them I'm just…'Ponine" she said with a shrug.

The old woman sighed "You are so stubborn, sweetie…"

"Oh come on, now let's take your picture, I need to continue"

Éponine jumped to her feet and took an old Polaroid from her bag. She kneeled in front of the woman and snapped a quick shot of the smiling woman. Placing the new picture inside her bag she knelt and hugged the woman tenderly before grabbing the huge box from the floor and continuing to walk down the alley.

Enjolras waited for couple of minutes before standing up and following her, his heart beating faster than he had ever felt before. He had underestimated her. Éponine wasn't just a barista and a girl who always challenged him. She was the one who could teach him about the world.

* * *

It had been two days since he had followed her and discovered something that had turned his world upside down. He, the marble-man, had been left speechless. And all because of a girl, no less. That night he hadn't been able to close his eyes without seeing Éponine in that alley, a warm smile in her face as she gave away donuts, cupcakes and pastries to the homeless. It was then that he realized that he didn't know her at all. And he was ready to change that. The next Saturday morning came as usual, the two of them sitting, the books closed and resting on the table as they talked animatedly.

"I really don't believe that there is a hidden pyramid underneath Washington" Éponine stated firmly grabbing her Frappuccino.

Enjolras looked up to her "Perhaps it's just figuratively"

"Dan Brown is known for using real information and transforming it into something unreal" she continued, wanting to win their literary fight for the first time.

"Man can believe the impossible, but man can never believe the improbable" He said with a small smile.

Éponine gaped at him before leaning back on her seat and crossing her arms, sending him a glare. He chuckled before leaning forward. When they finished reading _Pride and Prejudice_, they continued with _The Great Gatsby _(chosen by Enjolras), then _The Outsiders, _by Susan E. Hinton (chosen by Éponine). Then Enjolras chose _A Tale Of Two Cities, _by Charles Dickens, Éponine continued with _To Kill a Mockingbird, _and now they were reading _The Lost Symbol, _by Dan Brown. They had argued about the stories, characters, the background of the author, every detail they could talk about. Enjolras had found her point of view somewhat refreshing and new, and even on one occasion she had changed the way he saw the whole novel. Éponine, on the other hand, had grown confident about her opinion and was learning to organize her ideas before opening her mouth.

"What?" he asked with a silent laugh at the sight of her glare.

"I hate when you quote famous writers and end up being right" she complained.

He chuckled before placing the cup in his lips, prepared for what she would have to say. She opened her mouth and the words flowed from her lips freely as he listened intently to her speech. At some point of the conversation, they began talking about books. Different genres, favorite authors. Éponine had read hundreds of books, just as he had. He had spent days hidden in the library, just reading. While Enjolras used it as a way to gain knowledge, she had used it as an escape from her reality. She would be able to be in any world that she could imagine, she could be anyone she wanted to. At some point the conversation turned into something more serious as they began talking about the opportunities people had, and the opportunities they didn't get.

Enjolras remained silent when he noticed that she was beginning to close in again. _Please, don't shut me out_, he thought, turning his gaze down to his cup. The silence was almost unbearable for her, she hated when the conversation gave a turn and suddenly they were talking about her. She glanced up to meet his eyes.

"Come on, tell me" she blurted out.

His head snapped up "What?"

"I know you are hiding something" she said with a shrug "Tell me"

"I just…I've realized that I don't know much about you" he said quietly. When she opened her mouth he raised his hand "Wait, let me finish. I _do _know this Éponine Thenardier, the one who is ready to fight and attack, who doesn't let anyone, especially me, tell her that she is wrong. But I've realized that…you are the only one who can teach me what I don't know. I talk about equality and justice, about the homeless, the analphabets, the prostitutes, the orphans. But I don't know them. I don't know how it feels to live what they live. And I know you are the only one who can help me."

Her eyes were wide with surprise "I don't understand-"

"I know what you do every Wednesday, Éponine, I followed you. I know you feed the homeless and the poor. And that, I must say, is something I admire very much. Please, don't take it the wrong way, I'm really surprised in the good way about what you have been doing. You are the one who has _done_ something for our cause. I would like to know _that _Éponine, if you'd let me, of course. You can teach me about the world…and about you. What you have done for those people...you might have just saved their lives. It might be a little action, but just with that, you are helping them in a way no one else does. It's really amazing, Éponine, what you do…I would like to help you. I would like _you _to help _me."_

Éponine stared at him speechless. For the first time in her life, Enjolras had left her without words. He had followed her? She didn't knew if she should be shocked by the fact that he had been observing her all that time, or insulted because he had been poking around into what she considered her own private affairs. But what she hadn't been expecting was the wave of warmth that traveled down her body. Without knowing the exact reason why, she didn't feel angry or upset. The fact that Enjolras was asking _help _from her was something that didn't happened very often…well, it never happened.

She stared at him quietly, his eyes boring into hers with something akin into desperation…did he really think she could help him? Éponine was vaguely aware of the fact that Enjolras was clenching his fists tightly underneath the table, at that moment she could only stare into his eyes. Had they been always that blue? Éponine shook her head and exhaled.

"I'll do it" she answered quietly, her gaze dropping to the wooden surface of the table "I will show you what you want to know."

Enjolras blinked surprised and blurted out "You will?"

"Yeah…don't ask me why. But if we are going to do this, we'll do it my way" she stated severely pointing a finger to her own chest.

"I'm aware of that" he stated solemnly.

"Very well, in that case you will accompany me this Wednesday. It's sandwich day."

* * *

Enjolras stood where she had instructed him, his back resting on the cold surface of the wall of one of the buildings near the alley she frequented. They had agreed on keeping these visits to themselves, neither of them willing to endure the jokes the Amis would surely make. Besides, Éponine still wasn't ready to let them all know her whole past. She wasn't completely sure about letting Enjolras in, too afraid of being hurt again. If she had learned one thing throughout her life, it was that you should never trust anyone. They ended up letting you down always.

As he caught sight of the brunette walking hurriedly down the street towards his direction, he straightened and walked towards her. She was using the same clothes he had seen her wear, her long tresses underneath the cap, some tendrils hanging loosely around her face. As soon as she was close enough, he took the huge brown box from her arms and held it in his. The box was heavier than he had thought it was, not for him of course, but for her to carry.

"Thank you" she said, sounding breathless.

"No problem. Now shall we begin?" he motioned turning around to enter the alley.

"Wait. I think you look too proper for the occasion" Her eyes traveled from his face down to his feet very briefly. She took a step back and raised her hand to her lips.

"What do you mean?" he asked confused gazing down to his own attire. He was wearing a brown jacket, a red plaid shirt and dark jeans.

"You can't approach them dressing like that, the last thing they want to be reminded of is of what they can't have. They will feel intimidated, and we want them to be comfortable around us. And if you give them food looking like that they _will_ think it's charity. And they _don't _want charity."

Before he had a chance to speak, she was already taking the box from his arms and placing it on the floor before hurrying to stand behind him and began tugging at his jacket from behind, sliding it down his arms. He was aware of her proximity, the scent of vanilla suddenly overwhelming him. As soon as his jacket was off, she tugged it into her bag and returned to face him quickly. Without a warning, her fingers traveled up to his shirt and unbuttoned the first two buttons. He stared at her dumbly, the warmth of her body traveling to his own as she worked on his shirt, rolling his sleeves up. She stepped back and looked at him with pursed lips.

Enjolras almost jumped when she stood on her tiptoes and ruffled his hair, strands of his blond curls falling to his eyes. With one hand he removed some of them and looked down at her with a questioning gaze.

"Perfect" she smiled before turning around and grabbing her bag once more. "Let's go"

They made their way down the alley silently, the two walking side by side. Enjolras had never thought that the Éponine they all knew was capable of doing something like this. She knew all the names of every single person, man, woman or child. The way she spoke to them was something he would treasure forever, her voice warm, soothing and calm, as if she tried to make them forget the world in which they were living.

He was completely sure that she was oblivious to the reaction of her presence to the poor. Their faces brightened when she came into view, kneeling in front of them and placing a sandwich in their laps as she talked animatedly with them. He realized how important she had become to all of them, and how she had become their only hope. Enjolras was trying to take in every single detail about her and what she said and did. He did not miss the glint of sadness in her eyes every time she turned around and walked towards the next person.

She had even dragged him by the arm and forced him to speak about their cause. He had no idea how she expected him to win the confidence of the people, something she had done. He was left speechless when one of the old men had began asking him questions about the projects he and the Amis had to improve the living conditions of people like him. Enjolras had forgotten to answer, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.

Éponine had been telling these people about the Amis. She had lit the spark of hope in them.

When he felt her warm hand squeezing his shoulder gently, he snapped from his trance and answered the question the old man had asked. When Éponine reminded them that there was still a long way to go, Enjolras shook the man's hand firmly and stood up by Éponine's side as she knelt and took a picture of the smiling old man. Despite his resolve not to ask her, his curiosity got the better of him. He had to ask why did she took all of those pictures. With a smile, Éponine grasped his hand in hers and guided him to another section of the alley.

Both of them tried to ignore the current of electricity that ran up their arms when their skin made contact.

Éponine sat down and he did the same. She pulled from the depths of her bag a handful of photographs, some of them older than others. She handed them to him and he began observing each of them slowly. The same persons, different days. On one photograph, they were holding a baguette, on others, a muffin, and at the bottom he found the ones where they were holding sandwiches.

Éponine had been taking pictures of their progress.

As he flipped through the photos, he noticed how the smiles of the poor began being bigger, brighter…more honest and open. Éponine explained to him how she had first decided to begin this project. She had spent most of her youngest years without anything to eat, and whenever she could afford a piece of bread, she would give it to her sister and brother. Her siblings had practically forced her to go to college and leave them in an orphanage. She promised them that as soon as she could, she would go and get them out of there. Éponine left, the first months being the hardest for her. One day she came across a boy who reminded her of her little brother, he was asking her a coin. It was then when she realized that she didn't want anyone to suffer what she had suffered, feeling hungry, that kind of hunger that blinded you and made you wish to die. So she decided to save some of the money she earned at the Musain and buy some food for them. Enjolras stared at the ground as he considered her words, every single word sinking deep into his brain and heart. Without knowing it, Éponine had given him a direction for his revolution. He looked up at Éponine to see if he could figure out what she was thinking and noticed that she was already studying him.

Éponine smiled at the ground as she whispered her next words "I don't want you to feel sorry for me."

"No, Éponine. I would never feel sorry for you." He said intensely, reaching his hand and grabbing hers softly "I just think you are extraordinary…the bravest girl I've ever known."

Éponine smiled, her cheeks coloring with a soft pink. She gave him a sandwich and took one for herself. They ate it quickly before standing up and resuming their work. They walked in comfortable silence before they reached the next person, both of them in deep thought. Éponine didn't miss the way that Enjolras would gaze in her direction every few seconds, his hands gripping the box tightly.

"My dear 'Ponine, you're back!"

Enjolras stood behind Éponine with the box in his hands as he recognized the same old woman he had seen with Éponine a week before. He watched silently at the affectionate interaction between the two women, a smile tugging from the corner of his lips. As if sensing that she was being watched, the old woman looked up and met Enjolras' gaze.

"And who is this handsome boy?" the old woman questioned with a toothy smile.

"Oh Pattie, this is Enjolras. Enjolras this is Pattie" Éponine introduced them with a grin, stepping back as the old woman tried to sit straighter.

"A pleasure, Madame." Enjolras said politely shaking the old woman's bony hand.

"Oh my, what a gentleman" The old woman giggled as she let go of his hand "You never told me you already had a boyfriend, ´Ponine!"

Éponine blushed furiously as she began to stammer "No, no, no he's not my boyfriend, Pattie. He's just my friend."

Enjolras felt the tips of his ears go warm as he rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear" Pattie apologized, turning to Éponine and giving her a discreet wink "But I do believe you make a very adorable couple"

"You crazy lady, take your sandwich and stop messing with the poor man!" Éponine laughed, glad of taking the attention away from her.

"So why have you brought him here?" the old woman asked as she chewed her sandwich.

"Remember the guys I talked you about? Les Amis? " Éponine asked. Pattie nodded so she continued "Well, Enjolras here is the leader and he wanted to meet you and the others. More specifically, he wanted you to meet him."

"Why?" the woman asked curiously sipping from the straw of her juice box.

"My friends and I are organizing a rally, and we would like very much if everyone assisted, listen to our ideas, about the future, change, about new opportunities."

She hadn't expected him to become so open and confident so quickly when talking with the people of the streets as they visited. Enjolras was an excellent leader, capable of leading a group of men. But at first, when it was just one person, he had been quite nervous (his clenched jaw had given him away) and he indeed became a marble-statue. But what was she expecting? He was Enjolras, after all, the marble-statue, powerful and majestic Enjolras. Éponine then understood that he wouldn't be able to approach the people on his own, he needed her help. The first time Éponine had helped him had been with Laurent, an older man who lived with his nephew. Both of them had lost their home in a fire and now lived in an old abandoned factory. Gradually Enjolras had opened up and become animated as he spoke of his vision for a free Patria. Now Éponine saw the familiar spark burning in Enjolras' eyes as he explained passionately to Pattie about his ideas and plans, the eyes of the older woman shining with hope as she listened excitedly.

"You've got my word young man, I will tell everyone about this rally of yours!" Pattie exclaimed joyfully.

"We need to keep going, Pattie" Éponine said with a warm smile as she kneeled, the Polaroid in her hands. Pattie smiled immediately and Éponine snapped a quick shot, grabbing the new picture and fanning it before placing it inside her bag.

"Would you like me to take a picture of you two?" the old woman asked innocently "I would like to keep a picture of you for myself, if you don't mind…"

"I know what you're doing…" Éponine whispered to Pattie handing her the Polaroid.

The old woman giggled as she held the camera tightly with her delicate hands. Enjolras cleared his throat and moved closer to her, kneeling beside her. Éponine held her breath as she felt him placing his hand tentatively behind her back.

"Smile!" the woman grinned cheekily, clicking the shutter.

As the flash sounded, Enjolras felt Éponine placing her hand shyly on his knee to keep balance. He tensed, relaxing immediately. _I don't want her to think I don't like her, _he thought to himself. As the old woman clicked the shutter two times more, he squeezed her waist reassuringly. He heard her giggle, and despite his attempt of not looking down, he did.

* * *

It had been a month since Enjolras had begun accompanying Éponine to feed the poor, and with each passing day he learned more and more about the homeless and about her. They continued to meet every Saturday morning at the Musain, where they would relax and enjoy the company of the other. Also, Enjolras had explained to the Amis the main subject they would approach during the up-coming rally: the homeless, the ones who were starving and went days without proper meals. They would talk about the public kitchens, or more specifically, about the lack of them. Enjolras met Éponine's eyes, who just smiled at him before disappearing behind the counter.

That Wednesday, they walked hurriedly down the alley without having the time to talk to the people . Éponine hadn't been able to leave the Café on time and they had lost an hour, so that meant that they needed to run if they wanted to arrive to the meeting on time. Éponine had suggested they split up so they could finish on time. Although Enjolras felt a little reluctant, at the end he agreed and watched as she walked hurriedly down the alley carrying her bag full of juice boxes and baguettes, turning around the corner and disappearing from sight. With a heavy sigh he grabbed the brown box and continued on his way, placing baguettes on the lap of every person.

Éponine almost groaned in frustration when several juice boxes fell from her bag. She turned around and knelt and began picking them up. Suddenly she felt it, a familiar prickle at the back of her neck. She hadn't felt it since a long time ago, and it had only happened when she was in the presence of…

Trying to calm down her beating heart, she stood up and turned around slowly. _Montparnasse. _The young man stood in front of her, an unpleasant smirk on his lips, his dark eyes shining with malice as he stepped closer to her.

"Well, well…look who we have here, little Éponine Thenardier." His voice was low and dark, making her shiver with fear.

"Hello 'Parnasse" she said quietly, taking a step back discreetly.

"Long time since we've seen each other. How's life? I see you have changed…" The man stepped closer, one of his long fingers tracing her jaw.

She jerked her face away "What do you want?"

"Can't I say hello to my old friend?" he laughed darkly, circling her as a predator circles its prey "Besides…you didn't said goodbye when you left…"

Éponine felt her heart start beating hard inside her chest, so hard that she could swear he could hear it. Taking in a sharp breath she turned around and began running as fast as she could. She had barely made it to the end of the building when she felt a strong hand gripping her wrist and tuning her arm painfully to the opposite side. She cried out in pain before Montparnasse pushed her against the wall, the scent of alcohol filling her nostrils.

"You thought you could escape that easily from me 'Ponine?" he whispered, a horrible smile creeping in his lips, his breath hitting her face as she squirmed against his body trying to push him away "You thought you could escape from your own past?"

"Let go of me" she muttered "You are disgusting, let me go!"

"Since you decided to run off with your burgoise friends and tried to become smart, now you think that you're better than the rest of us?" he sneered maliciously.

Éponine stopped struggling and looked at him straight to the eye fiercely "I _am _better than all of you."

Montparnasse chuckled darkly "Oh 'Ponine, you don't understand, do you? Doesn't it get through that thick skull of yours?" he asked mockingly tapping her head with one finger "You think you're so intelligent, but you're not. You're scum, you're dirt…like all of us. No one cares about you. You can't change what you are."

Éponine spit into his face hatefully, a look of sheer anger and fury in her face. He opened his eyes and began laughing darkly. Éponine felt goosebumps run all over her body at the sound, she knew she had gone too far and now he would punish her. _Scream, someone will hear you, anyone, _she thought. She felt his forceful hands pinning her against the damp wall again, harder than the first time. She inhaled a cold gulp of air and let out a scream. He hissed angrily, and before she could tell what was happening, she felt his hand making harsh contact with her cheek. Her face turned to the other side completely, the pain was sharp, her skin burning.

Without a warning he crashed his lips over hers roughly and started kissing her hungrily. Éponine fought him as best as she could, moving her arms desperately but failing repeatedly. She tried to scream again, but he was faster and grabbed the back of her head by the hair, painfully yanking her head down as hot tears fell down her cheeks. She felt his hands creeping under her large shirt, and she began squirming more violently. She was ready to give up, she hadn't the strength to fight him. Closing her eyes she angled her face and bit his lip as hardly as she could.

Montparnasse roared in pain before slapping her once more, grabbing her by her forearms and pulling her in for another kiss. She felt her body go numb as she began wishing she had listened to Enjolras, they shouldn't have separated. She wanted Enjolras to find her. Someone…anyone.

Suddenly, the weight of his body was dragged away from her as she heard a loud crash against the garbage cans. She opened her eyes fearfully, and it was then when she saw it. Enjolras was standing a few steps in front of her, but she could still see his face properly. His normally serene and calm expression had morphed into something completely different. He had an outraged expression, his cheeks flushed with anger, his blue eyes storming with fury. He had dropped the box and two juice boxes had fallen onto the damp street. Slowly, Montparnasse rose to his feet, but Enjolras didn't move, his fists clenched tightly as he breathed heavily. For the first time in all her life, Éponine witnessed how Montparnasse hesitated.

"Don't you dare put your filthy hands on her again!" Enjolras hissed, his voice low and menacing.

Montparnasse chuckled maliciously "You want that whore? Fine with me, you can have my leftovers."

Enjolras reached the man and punched his face with a swift movement. Montparnasse stumbled and tried to punch Enjolras back, but he was faster and punched him again, sending him to the floor. Éponine walked slowly to stand behind Enjolras, who just stood above Montparnasse, his lips curved in a snarl.

"Do not speak of her like that. Now listen to me carefully" Enjolras growled "I don't want to see you near her ever again, don't come back here. If I ever see you again, trying to take advantage of her or assaulting her, what just happened will be nothing compared to what I will do."

Éponine saw his muscles tensing in a menacing way, and without realizing it, she grasped his hand fearfully. At the feeling of her hand in his, he felt himself relax.

"Leave!" Enjolras demanded.

Montparnasse pulled himself up and walked down the street, sending Éponine a hateful glare before turning the corner and disappearing. The moment he was out of sight, Enjolras turned around to face her, his expression changing instantly into a worried frown, his eyes becoming gentler and soft. They looked at each other in silence, before his eyes darted to the reddened skin of her cheek. Slowly he raised a hand and traced the sore skin with his fingertips.

"I should've come sooner" he whispered in a way that she had never heard before.

"I'm sorry" she answered quietly, her eyes darting to the floor.

"What for?" he asked genuinely concerned.

"Not listening to you" she muttered, looking up to his eyes.

Enjolras felt as if he was meeting a completely new Éponine, the one who felt scared and lonely. He saw the girl shaking in front of him, weak and frightened. Without thinking, he pulled her into a hug, resting his cheek on top of her head. She tensed at the feeling of the proximity, but in the end she relaxed and circled his waist with her arms, burying her face in his chest. He didn't know if she was crying, and if she was, probably he would never know.

After a moment she pulled away and straightened, a small smile forming on her lips, but she didn't speak. Neither of them felt the need to speak after that, they were used to the comfortable silence between them, and Enjolras was pleased to just watch her, as she did with him. Her brown eyes searched his, trying to find something he didn't understand. At the same time, he was doing the same with her, his blue eyes boring into hers. _Looking into my soul, _she thought, trying to not give away anything.

"Éponine, there's something I need to tell you" he blurted out.

She raised an eyebrow "Go on"

He closed his eyes, and taking a deep breath he opened them, a frown appearing in his face "I-I think I might have feeli-"

"Stop" she interrupted him smoothly, her voice lost in the air like smoke "Don't do this. Not now, please."

His frown deepened but he just nodded. She gave him a sad smile that didn't reached her eyes. Standing on her tiptoes, she placed a kiss in his cheek, his skin burning where her lips had touched. As soon as it had been there, her lips were gone and she was walking towards the brown box. He followed her slowly and watched her from behind. Curious to what she was doing, he peeked over her shoulder and felt his breath catch in his throat. She was holding the photo Pattie had taken of them, her thumb grazing it tenderly. He also had their photo, hidden in his wallet. Just that his was different. Pattie had given him the one in which he had looked down to see her. Quickly she put it inside her bag and turned around to face him, a genuine smile in her lips.

Suddenly, he felt all his worries disappear as he stared into her eyes. He felt too comfortable with her by his side, he realized how much he yearned for her, how he woke up every Saturday morning, excited to meet her. How he secretly enjoyed every screaming match they had at the Musain, and the small talks they shared, confessing things no one else would ever know. He knew one thing was clear. He wanted to be with her, to have her close, to see her smile and see how her dimples showed, how her eyes came to life and sparkled with joy. He wanted more than anything to protect her from the world, to take her away.

Somehow, he had fallen for Éponine.


	4. Will You Love Me? II

**_Title_**: _Will You Love Me?  
_

_**Summary**_: _Éponine and Enjolras weren't friends. At least that's what everyone thought. Their fights were something all the Amis enjoyed, screaming matches neither of them could win. But what happens when Enjolras starts getting curious about her? What happens when he discovers that she is the only one who can help him?  
_

_**Note: **I'm really shocked by the response the last chapter had! Really, I'm so honored to have all of you praising the story and my writing, you are incredible! So I tried to write as fast as I could and here I present you chapter number 2!__ The quotes used here are by Voltaire, Ralph Waldo Emerson, George Eliot and Mother Teresa. Thank you to my amazing beta-reader Judybear236, who still bears with me! I would like to know what you think about this, your thoughts are something really important to me. Thanks to those who take time to read this, this one is for all of you. Now, where were we?_

* * *

The meeting was going as usual, Grantaire resting his head on the table as Éponine and Enjolras continued to scream at each other. There were only three days left before the rally and everyone was buzzing with excitement. But in Enjolras and Éponine's case, their excitement meant more passion in their discussions. As Courfeyrac caught expertly with his mouth the pretzels Bahorel was throwing to him, Éponine and Enjolras continued debating about how they needed to approach the government about the public kitchens situation.

None of the Amis would have suspected that something was going on between them. The encounter with Montparnasse was something neither of them had told anyone else about. As soon as they had composed themselves, they returned to the Café, any trace of sorrow or anger forgotten. While Éponine fought to forget those dreadful moments with Montparnasse, Enjolras remembered every night the feeling of her body against his, her heart beating hard against his own, her skin burning through the material of his shirt, the feeling of her lips against his skin, burning it. That day he had been completely sure that he needed to confess to her what he felt. Or what he thought he was feeling. He was going to tell her that he had feelings for her, feelings that scared him and confused him at the same time.

Somehow he had felt disappointed when she stopped him. Had it been a way of saying that she didn't care for him in that way? Perhaps he was just being foolish. He had never felt something towards anyone before, why would she change that? Yes, he found her extremely interesting, he admired her bravery and strength, she was intelligent, somewhat stubborn and witty, she also was…beautiful. He found her beautiful.

For the first time in all his life, Enjolras felt attracted to someone, not in the typical way he did. He felt scared whenever his heart began beating faster when she looked at him or smiled, her dimples showing up, something that he found strangely alluring. She had a childish air, but he knew that inside of her, there was a strong warrior that only he had been able to fight. And he wasn't embarrassed to admit the she would always win. Enjolras was getting to experience what all his friends had talked about; he even had witnessed it in some of them. The way their gazes seemed to be lost as they thought about the mysterious females who had bewitched them, their constant memory loss, or how they would stutter whenever the girl was present. Yes, Enjolras had witnessed it all. But he had never experienced it.

That night, the spark between them was growing with much force as they began to raise their voices. Although Enjolras had tried to ignore the way his stomach seemed to flutter every time her hair swayed around her face, he couldn't deny that he was indeed losing the battle against her, and that bothered him a great deal.

"You can't approach them as if they were animals!" She exclaimed outraged, her hands flying around her.

"I am doing no such thing!" he answered with irritation "The only thing I'm saying is that we need to have a way to control them before the rally transforms into a violent protest!"

"What do you think they are, Enjolras?" she demanded, her voice louder than before "They are not going to arrive to your _pathetic _rally and start throwing things around, biting and punching! They are going because they want to know if they can _trust_ you…trust _them_!"

She pointed at the group of students, her eyes burning with anger. Suddenly all the eyes were set on her, Jehan biting his lip nervously as Courfeyrac swallowed a pretzel down his throat with a loud gulp.

"I know that, Éponine!" He hissed through gritted teeth, something that almost always managed to silence anyone else, but not Eponine. "And that's what we are going to do! We are going to show them what the future is going to be like! A free country, without injustice or corruption!"

"Then you need to start proving yourself! Not just words and empty promises" She spat, taking a menacing step forward "You need to win their trust! Without their help, your cause is lost!"

Enjolras groaned exasperatedly, getting angrier with each passing minute. "That's what we are trying to do! We want them to trust us, but sometimes they can barely look at us straight to the eye! How can we help them when they pretend they don't need our help?"

"Because they don't want charity!" she snapped, tilting her head up to see him properly.

Neither of them was aware of how close they were to the other. The Amis were now silent, watching them with wide eyes, waiting for Enjolras reply. They had seen them fight before, a thousand times. But nothing had ever been like this time, the fire in their eyes was burning more intensely than ever before, their bodies inches apart from the other.

"They are no longer talking about the poor, are they?" Jehan whispered to Grantaire, who just shook his head, his eyes never leaving the pair, a grin in his lips.

The Amis weren't dumb, they knew something was going on between their leader and the witty barista. Sometimes, something that left all of them speechless. They had even made bets on how long would it take one of them to realize of their feelings. But that night, their fight had reached a certain point in which they were expecting one of them to kiss the other. They stared dumbfounded as Enjolras moved closer to her, his eyes narrowed as he studied her face.

"We are not giving them charity" he said calmly, his eyes burning with anger "We want to _help_ them. I know those people are strong, they live on the streets for God's sake! Do you really believe me that naïve to think I'm better than them? Of course not! They are a million times better than I will ever be! We just want to help them get out of that hell!"

"Well, in that case you need to trust them too!" she cried, her voice growing louder "You are right about one thing, Enjolras, they are the _strongest _persons on this world. Some of them try to escape from their life, some of them get opportunities and succeed, some of them not. But you know what? They do it on their _own._"

"But we care about them!" Enjolras yelled "And we want to protect them!"

The room fell silent. All of them had understood the true meaning behind his words. Éponine blinked surprised before taking a step back, grabbing her bag and running out of the Café through the door. Enjolras stared blankly at the spot in which she had been standing just a few seconds before. At the sound of the door shutting close, his head snapped up. Looking back at his friends, he gave them a short nod before, for the first time ever, turning around and running out of the Café behind Éponine. The Amis stared at each other shocked. Enjolras had practically shouted to Éponine how he truly felt about her. His marble had cracked.

Enjolras felt the cold air of the night hit him in the face as he stepped out of the Musain. Looking around frantically, he caught sight of a retreating figure down the street, her hair blowing around her with the wind. Enjolras smiled, letting out a sigh. He could still amend his mistake. His smile turned to a frown as he noticed that her shoulders were shaking slightly. _Please don't tell me I made h_er cry_, _he thought desperately. Without a second thought, he ran down the street to catch her.

"Éponine!" he called out, stopping slowly.

At the sound of his voice she stopped in her tracks, letting out a shaky breath. Lifting a hand almost imperceptibly, she cleaned the lonely tears that had begun falling down. _He won't see me cry_, she thought, raising her head defiantly.

She tensed, and without turning around she answered coldly "What do you want?"

"I-I'm sorry for what I said on the Café" he whispered, taking a step forward hesitantly "I didn't meant to say all of what I said, it just came out."

Éponine laughed darkly "Well yeah, how could you really mean what you said?"

Enjolras remained silent, his feet rooted to the spot. Although Éponine had tried hard to ignore the flutter of her stomach the moment the words had left his lips. Lately, every time she thought about Enjolras, a current of electricity would run across her spine, eliciting feelings she never though she would ever feel. Éponine was becoming attached to the marble-man, something that not even she could believe. Probably, she would never admit to anyone that she kept the photo Pattie had taken of them with her, and sometimes she would find herself staring at it. What would it feel like to be held by him? His fingers caressing her face tenderly? What would it feel like to be needed by him? Every time he looked at her, his clear blue eyes would give away far more than he was aware of, and that thrilled Éponine.

But then again, she remembered that no one would ever care for her. No one had ever had, and no one ever would. She was alone. To Enjolras, she was just a way to be in touch with the real world, with the poor, the ones who suffered the homeless…the ones who were like her. Broken.

She couldn't let herself fall for someone that would never catch her.

Éponine was lonely, because she wanted to be. If you don't want to get your heart broken, then don't let anyone near it. She had learnt that the bad way…she couldn't trust anyone, especially not with her heart. She wasn't willing to let anyone break her, she was already too broken. Tightening her fists, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wouldn't let Enjolras understand how much he now meant to her…or how her heart was screaming to make her understand that she wanted _him. _She would become stone, because no one could break what was made of stone.

The brunette turned around slowly, her eyes dull and cold. Enjolras stared at her silently, her lips parted as he breathed heavily.

"But the thing is…that I meant it, Éponine." The words left his lips effortlessly, and he witnessed how her expression morphed, turning softer. "I don't know if you understood what I meant there. I wasn't talking about the homeless. I was talking about _you._ How I want you to trust me, I'm helpless here, I really need to know that you trust me. I don't know why, but that's the single most important thing to me right now. I feel lost, and I don't like it."

"You really don't want that" she answered quietly.

"But I do!" he continued, taking another step forward "And I don't know why! When I wake up, you are the first thing I think of, every single thing reminds me of you, of your eyes, your smile. I find myself craving for your presence, I wait anxiously for every Saturday and Wednesday. I don't even care about how frustrating you are during the meetings, because I'm content with the only thought that you are with me."

"Don't do this, Enjolras" she said, her voice sounding desperate "You really don't mean that."

"Please, Éponine!" he exclaimed reaching out to catch her hand in his "Right now I'm only sure about one thing: I care about you, in a way I've never cared for anyone before. And that scares me, Ép, because I don't know if I'm doing the right thing or if this is just a mistake. But I'm willing to give it a try. Just…don't shut me out, please, I need to know what you're thinking. I need to know if all of this is in vain."

She looked up, her eyes meeting his. The warmth emanating from his hand was comforting, and Éponine found herself relaxing to his touch. As soon as she realized the power he was having on her, she blinked furiously and released her hand from his grasp.

"What do you expect from all of this? "She demanded stiffly, her voice low and sorrowful "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I have feelings for you!" he stated, his eyes burning with the passion she was too familiar with "I want to be with you, help you, protect you! Why is that so hard to understand?"

"But _why, _Enjolras?" she hissed, stepping closer "Is it because you think I need your protection, or your help? I've been fine by myself all of this time, and now just because you are saying that you have feelings for me I'm supposed to believe it? No one has ever noticed me before, and now you think that just by-"

Whatever she was about to say was forgotten when Enjolras crashed his lips desperately against hers. Éponine's eyes widened at the sudden feeling of his lips on hers, demanding and passionate. Despite her attempts of not closing her eyes, she couldn't fight it and they fluttered closed. One of his hands traveled down to her waist and pulled her closer to his body, her curves pressing against his solid body. Her knees faltered when his other hand cupped her cheek, tilting it to one side and deepening the kiss, his thumb grazing her cheekbone tenderly.

Enjolras felt as if his body had been struck by lightning when his lips touched hers. At that moment, every single coherent thought slipped from his mind: college, the rally, the Amis…Éponine was the only thing that existed at that moment. Finally being able to kiss Éponine was like being able to breathe again, finding the air he didn't know he needed. He felt his senses increasing at an alarming rate, the softness of her lips, the scent of vanilla overwhelming and clouding his senses. He suddenly was afraid that he wouldn't be able to let go of her.

The knots in his stomach were anything like anythting Enjolras had ever experienced before, he hadn´t known that she could make him feel that way, and he enjoyed it. Enjolras wanted to be closer to her, feel her in every way. Eponine's hands reached up to tangle themselves in his hair, a whisper of his own name escaping from her lips. If someone would have told Enjolras sooner that kissing Éponine felt like this, he would've done it sooner. But at the same time, this was a new Enjolras, an Enjolras who was able to say what he felt and express it with more than words. He kissed her with renewed fervor when he felt her acceptance, feeling that he would never get enough of her.

As soon as her lips where there, they were gone. Éponine abruptly let go of him, dropping back onto her heels, her eyes wide with shock. She stepped back slowly, her hand absentmindedly touching her lips slightly.

"Éponine-I'm sorry," he blurted out desperately, taking a step forward, but she stepped back "I shouldn't have done that, please Éponine, forgive me."

Enjolras felt suddenly cold, the absence of her warmth had taken him by surprise. But what was he thinking of? He wasn't like that! He was stronger than that…he wasn't like one of the Amis, he had control over his instincts, and right now he felt ashamed. But deep inside of him, he didn't regret it. He didn't regret it at all, because for a short period of time, he had felt alive for the first time in years.

Not being able to look into his eyes, Éponine looked down and murmured "Just…forget it"

She turned around and began walking hurriedly down the road, her arms around herself.

"Éponine! Please wait! You will come to the rally, won't you?" he called after her desperately "We need you there, you are the only one they trust…"

"I don't know if I can" she answered without turning around.

"Please, Éponine" he pleaded, taking a hesitant step "If you go, I'll understand it is because of the Amis and the cause, perhaps you can forgive me and everything will be all right between us again. If you don't come, then…I guess I'll understand."

She stood frozen for a moment before turning her head slightly to one side. Enjolras was able to make her features in the darkness of the street, the contours of her face outlined by the moonlight. This was Éponine, a mysterious creature, goddess of the night. Her voice was barely a whisper, but still it was loud enough for him to hear it. He watched her figure retreating as she walked away, leaving Enjolras alone in the street, her voice echoing in his head.

"Nothing is all right between us"

* * *

Enjolras groaned quietly, glancing around frantically as he stood at the side of the stack of boards used to resemble a stage. The clear blue sky was something that made him think that everything would be all right, the breeze warm enough to blow his curls into his eyes. The energy people had was something Enjolras had never expected, the street was teeming with people, from students to people who had received a flyer. But the thing that surprised Enjolras the most was that almost half of the crowd were people he had met during his visits with Éponine in the alleys. His heart was beating furiously inside his chest, finally all their hard work was paying off. The people had come, and that was enough for him. That was enough to show him that what they were doing was the right thing, because these people had come without knowing what they would fight for. They had come because they had hope. Hope in a better future.

Despite the excitement all the Amis were showing, Enjolras felt numb. That night he had barely closed his eyes without the image of Éponine appearing in his head, her cold eyes and harsh words. He had screwed it up, everything that there was between them was now all ruined. He had let his feelings take over his body and now he was paying the price. She wasn't going to show up, and that would be her way of saying that she didn't want to see him again. Somehow, he knew that it had been his own fault, he should've never pushed things with her. God, she was Éponine, forcing her to say how she felt was the thing no one should ever do. But he had done it. Not only that, he had kissed her too.

That kiss had triggered a series of powerful feelings that he had never felt before. And now he yearned to feel them again. The dark circles beneath his eyes testified the lack of sleep, not being able to close his eyes without seeing her, _feeling _her. And now he had probably lost her, all because he had been too weak to fight his own need and instincts. Éponine had become his center, but not only in his mind or body, but somehow she had managed to crawl under his skin and he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to get her out. Actually, he didn't want to. But at that moment his own troubles weren't of much importance, the rally was just about to start and she wasn't anywhere to be seen. Without her, probably half the crowd would go away. They had been there for her, after all.

"She will come" Combeferre said calmly patting his back in a friendly way.

Enjolras sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose "I really don't think so."

"It's Éponine we're talking about here, Enj" Combeferre tried to assure him "She wouldn't let us down."

"I know" he nodded.

His best friend smiled at him gently before turning around and marching towards where the rest of the Amis were gathered, energy and excitement surrounding them. Enjolras stood motionless watching the crowd silently, his eyes scanning the street anxiously for a sign of the brunette. But deep inside of him he knew that she would probably not come. She had made that quite clear the night before.

Enjolras almost jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around, unconsciously wishing that he would meet a pair of chocolate brown eyes, although a part of him didn't believed he was ready to face her again. He almost sighed with relief when he came face to face with the pacific face of Jehan, his head tilted to one side, the corner of his lips tugging up as his eyes studied him with curiosity.

"You weren't expecting me, were you?" he said softly with a smile.

Enjolras cleared his throat and shook his head "I wasn't…I mean, I wasn't expecting for someone, you just took me by surprise."

"I see" the poet murmured thoughtfully "So what are you looking at?"

"The crowd, I think…" Enjolras muttered, his eyes scanning the street eagerly, his hands clamped at his back.

"You know Enjolras, it isn't wrong to be in love" Jehan smiled calmly.

Enjolras looked at him with a bewildered expression "I'm not in love!"

"And I think that's the exact reason why you are having troubles with her" Jehan said softly "You both are too stubborn to admit what you are feeling."

"I've tried, Jehan" Enjolras admitted, his cold exterior softening in front of the poet "She's just afraid of letting me in…"

"Then _show_ her what you feel" Jehan said, his eyes glowing with sympathy. He took a step closer and patted the leader on his back "And now get on that stage and show everyone what we are fighting for."

Enjolras allowed himself to smile back and walked towards the stage. But before he turned around completely, he looked at the young man, his eyes warm. "Thank you."

* * *

Éponine walked as fast as she could through the sea of people. Despite her attempts of not smiling, her lips were curved up at the sight of so many people. Surely the Amis would be incredibly excited, perhaps even Enjolras would've…

She felt a blow straight to her chest at the single thought of him. But how could she not be feeling the way she was? The moment she had arrived to her apartment she had let her walls crumble, and all the frustration, all the anger and sadness had come out in uncontrollable sobs and tears. Finally she had managed to fall into a restless sleep, her thoughts plagued with images of blue stormy eyes. Although Éponine had tried to avoid the way her heart beat faster when she remembered the events of the night before, she could still feel his hands on her, pressing her body into his, the warmth emanating from his skin as his lips made her fall into oblivion. The way he had kissed her was nothing like she had ever experienced before, with so much strength and passion. Éponine knew that Enjolras was a very determined and passionate man, what he did, he always did it with dedication. He never took anything lightly. And that was one of the main reasons why everyone called him the marble-man: because nothing could ever affect him.

But the night before he had shown to her that he was just a man. A man who had feelings for her. As Éponine made her way through the enormous crowd, she felt a pang in her chest when every word he had said came rushing back into her mind.

"_Because I have feelings for you!" he had stated, his eyes burning with the passion she was too familiar with "I want to be with you, help you, protect you! Why is that so hard to understand?"_

Because she was afraid. Éponine Thenardier was afraid of falling. And the worst part was that she had fallen into something deeper than she would ever admit. Somehow, the moment the words left his lips, she had felt her heart leap giddily inside her chest. He cared for her, he really c_ared _for her. Éponine couldn't deny how good it felt to be with him, to talk with him or just read with him. In those weeks she had come to truly get to know the man behind the cold exterior he always put off in front of their friends. He was severe and stoic, but with her, he was different. Somehow, with her he showed her a different side…softer, sweeter, something she felt no one else had ever witnessed. And in a way, she liked that.

It was impossible for her to conceive the mere idea that he could have feelings for her. No one had ever cared for her, no one had ever noticed her, why would he be different? He was just confused, it was just impossible for him to have feelings for her. She was nothing, she was air, she was dust. She was invisible. And if being invisible was the cost of not getting hurt, then she would gladly pay it. Éponine couldn't let anyone get that close, in the end, they always let you down. Yes, she cared for Enjolras. Damn it, she felt something deeper than friendship! But she was stubborn, and that fear was more powerful than her desire to feel wanted. To feel loved.

Enjolras had been clear about what he was feeling, and that was the exact reason why Éponine needed to help him realize that it was a mistake. He was just confused, it was all a misunderstanding. Éponine almost jumped when she heard Enjolras' deep voice booming somewhere near where she was standing. Without looking up, she kept walking, smiling at the persons she could recognize. A lump formed in her throat slowly as all her friends from the alleys approached her or waved at her, their faces beaming with energy, their eyes sparkling with hope. She caught sight of Pattie sitting on a box near the entrance of an alley. The old woman waved at the brunette excitedly, flashing her a toothy smile as she gave her the thumbs up.

Éponine giggled and waved back, winking at the woman. As she continued her way towards the made up stage, Éponine tried to listen to what Enjolras was saying. The crowd was cheering to the young student, nodding and agreeing to every word he said. Craning her neck, Éponine tried to catch a glimpse of him between the crowd. As her eyes scanned the street, she almost gasped when she finally caught sight of him.

"Some will always be above others! Destroy the inequality today, and it will appear again tomorrow!" He roared, his eyes burning with passion as his hands flew up in a fist "And that's our duty today! _We _have the chance to change our present, to build our tomorrow! All people are equal, it is not birth, it is virtue alone that makes the difference! It's time to ask for what is fair…to better opportunities! For equality and justice!"

He was burning like the sun, his blonde curls that seemed golden dancing around his face as he moved his body fiercely all around the stage. He looked godlike, his blue eyes showing the fire he had inside of him. His voice was loud, clear and penetrant, hitting Éponine down to her core. She had always admired how passionate he was during his speeches at the Musain, but this, this was something completely different. He was where he was born to be, leading the people, lighting the spark in them.

Finally, she was able to make it to the back of the stage. All the Amis were transfixed on the leader's words, their faces glowing with the energy and passion Enjolras was able to transmit. And she had to admit, that he was a breathtaking vision of red and gold. She almost giggled when she remembered the description Grantaire had used once: _He is bold as fire, but cold as ice._ Dragging her eyes from the young student, Éponine turned to gaze to the Amis, mentally checking that all were there. Confused when she noticed the absence of one of them, she almost jumped when a gentle hand grabbed her by the elbow and began guiding her towards the stage. Looking up with confusion she met Jehan´s tranquil gaze. Before she could ask him what he was doing, the poet was already pushing her up the stairs and into the stage.

"Jehan!" she hissed looking at him desperately.

The poet grinned and motioned her to turn around. They had talked countless times about this time. All the Amis had insisted that she needed to speak during the rally, something she had been strongly opposed to. But as the warm rays of the sun hit her back, she realized that this was her time to finally make a change. The wild crowd was cheering Enjolras, who was breathing heavily near the edge of the stage, smiling triumphantly widely. Deciding that it was a bad idea, she began sliding slowly towards the first stair, her heart beating faster than it should as she began her slow descent. But before she could walk any further, a voice broke through the noise.

"Is that Éponine?"

As soon as those words were heard by the rest of the people, the crowd began cheering her excitedly. Cursing internally, she turned around on the spot, a knot forming in her stomach painfully. She was aware that Enjolras had turned around to see her, his jaw dropped with surprise. Trying to ignore the way her heart seemed to skip a beat, she averted her gaze towards the crowd and waved embarrassedly. With the corner of her eye she caught sight of Enjolras's hand reached out towards her. Tentatively she grabbed it and allowed him to pull her alongside him. The current of electricity traveled from her fingertips straight to her chest, and by the way Enjolras had winced and released her hand quickly, he had felt it too. Trying to not feel a wave of disappointment when he backed up, she realized that he was letting her be in front of the stage.

Éponine looked out at the sea of faces, all eyes fixed on her. Twisting her hands nervously, she gulped and tried to organize her ideas. _You can't fail them, they trust you_, she thought while a couple of kids waved at her excitedly. She needed to show them that they could trust them, to know that she had been there too, and she had escaped from there. Clearing her throat, she let the words slip from her lips naturally.

"Right now we are living in times when if you don't have anything, it means you are worth nothing. Today, what we want may mean nothing to those who are above us, but change is coming! They have kept us in silence for far too long, and now it's time to demand what belongs to us by right! And that's why we are here today, because we need you!" She cried out, her fist up as her eyes scanned the crowd.

One thing she wasn't aware of was the fact that the revolutionary standing behind her was transfixed, his heart pumping faster with each word she spoke. The fire she was radiating was burning him alive. But he wanted her to transform him into ashes. Her hair blowing with the wind around her, her fiery eyes burning with the passion he had seen countless times. She was magnificent.

"Food is a right we all have! And the government has done nothing but to deny it to us! Public kitchens are needed. Public kitchens are what we demand!" She continued, the crowd bursting with applause "We can never give up longing and wishing while we are thoroughly alive! And that time has come! Together, we can be the change we want to see…we can be the ones who build tomorrow! We might be starving, but we are not unwanted, unloved, uncared for, and forgotten by everybody!"

Éponine stood frozen in front of the crowd as they burst into applause, her chest going up and down, her eyes ablaze, her body burning. The crowd erupted into applause as she tried to comprehend what she had just done, the way her voice had seemed to sound like a cry of battle, the confidence she had felt, the way her words had stirred the people. Her head snapped up as she felt a warm hand brush and grasp her softly. She met Enjolras' eyes, a fiery blue as he bored into her soul. He smiled.

Enjolras couldn't stop looking at Éponine, a smile on his lips. If he had had any doubt that she wouldn't come, what she had just done was something he hadn't been expecting at all. His chest felt heavy, his heart was beating furiously. Éponine had managed to accomplish what they were fighting for, somehow, the people were there because of her. Because she had lit the spark in them a long time ago. For the first time, Enjolras believed that the cause was alive, that everything would turn out fine. They weren't alone with this. As he felt the habitual current of electricity in his hand as he held hers, he thought that perhaps not everything was lost between them. That perhaps she might feel something for him…something as strong as he felt for her. He would fight for her, because he was a fighter. And he wouldn't let the person he cared for slip away so easily.

* * *

Hours later they were back in his apartment, the only sound was her heavy breathing as she twisted her hands in her lap. She was sitting on his couch while he was standing at the counter, his back to her. Even from where she was sitting, she could tell that he was frustrated, the muscles on his back tensed as he grabbed the edge of the counter tightly, his knuckles turning white. After the rally was over and the people had gone, Enjolras had quietly grabbed her hand and guided her out of the Musain in which the Amis were gathered celebrating the triumph of the protest. Now, they were both in his apartment, neither of them willing to speak first. They both had been standing uncomfortably at each other's side as the Amis cheered with joy and beers were handed around, not realizing the imminent tension between the pair. Éponine had followed him quietly down the street as they made their way to his apartment, not even glancing at him whenever he would turn around to check if she still was there. Éponine knew that she needed to speak first, after all, Enjolras had made clear what he was feeling, But still, the fear remained inside of her.

"Why did you come?" His voice cut through the silence like a dagger, cold and sharp, barely a whisper.

"Sorry?" she asked confused, straightening on the couch.

"Why did you come to the rally?" he repeated slowly.

Éponine felt the hairs in the back of her neck at the sound of his voice, but still answered as confidently as she could "Because I wasn't going to let the Amis down."

Enjolras turned around slowly, a mask of indifference plastered on his face, his eyes cold and hard without emotion. He took a step forward "So it has nothing to do with what happened last night?"

Éponine stood up and squared her shoulders, her eyes beginning to glow "That's not what I said-"

"But that's what you meant." He stated coldly.

"You are impossible" she laughed darkly.

"I'm impossible?" he retorted, his voice tinted with annoyance "Am I the one who is afraid of letting anyone in? Who tries to hide from the world, too afraid that someone might actually care for me? Am I the one wh-"

"Stop it" she hissed, taking another step forward.

"No, Éponine, I won't stop because you need to know it" he stated firmly " You are afraid of actually knowing that I care for you, in a way I've never cared for anyone before. You know me, you know I'm not one of those who falls easily for someone, but here I am, trying to make you understand that I'm actually _feeling_ something for you."

"Don't do this, Enjolras" she warned, walking past him. He caught her hand and turned her around swiftly.

"You don't understand, do you?" he said desperately "I'm dying here, Ép, and it's all because of you. I'm afraid, for the first time in all my life because I don't understand what the fuck is going on inside of me. The only thing that I know is that whenever you are with me, that burning sensation inside of my chest disappears, it is as if you are the only one who can calm down the pain inside of me-"

"Let go of me" she whispered coldly, shoving his hand away and trying to get past him.

"You know you feel the same I do, you are just too damn scared to let me in-" he continued, his fists clenched tightly.

"You know nothing" she cut him, her voice shaking almost imperceptibly.

Enjolras took a step closer to her, his throat tightening as he pleaded "I only know what I'm feeling! And not even I can understand it. Please Éponine just let me show you, you need to know, surely you must know that this is not a joke. I want to be with you, in a way I've never wanted anyone before-"

"Shut up." She hissed. But he didn't stop.

"Don't you trust me? Don't you believe that I could make you happy? I'm going crazy, Éponine, I feel blind. Why are you so afraid to let me in?" he said, his voice louder than before.

Her body froze in an instant, her head moving to look slowly. Her eyes were burning with anger as she took an unconscious step forward.

"Afraid?" she whispered menacingly "Afraid of what, Enjolras? Of having feelings for you? Of getting my heart broken? Of trusting someone and that in the end they will let me down? Excuse me if I'm tired of being hurt, I didn't know I was hurting your feelings."

His eyes widened, and suddenly something snapped inside of him as he burst out "How can you really believe that?"

"Because that's what I've learned from life! I spent my childhood living in hell, and the only thing that I learned was that you must never trust anyone, because they always let you down! I didn't grow up having everything, with loving parents that kissed me goodnight or hugged me when I had a nightmare, because I was _living _in a nightmare! So I'm sorry If I'm not throwing myself into your arms, because here's the truth Enjolras, I'm scared! You win!" Her voice was softer, but still it was full with anger.

"So if you actually have feelings for me, don't say it, Enjolras. _Show me_. Because words are going to vanish, but actions are forever. Show me that you aren't just playing around, that you mean it. And just to be clear, I'm not good at trusting people. But I do trust you" She was breathing heavily as the last words left her lips softly, almost in a gentle way.

Enjolras stared at her, his eyes boring into her with passion. She stared back, her chest rising and falling as tears threatened to fall down. The last thing she heard was a soft groan before all the air was sucked out from her lungs. Enjolras covered her mouth with his desperately, wanting more than anything to close the distance between them. She answered to his kiss with equal force, her hands reaching up to his hair and pulling him down to her. A soft moan left her lips as his tongue outlined her lower lip, exploring every inch of her mouth, the softness of her lips making him feel as if he was going crazy, as if he would never get enough. He slowly but steadily pushed her against the wall, his fingers tangled into her dark waves, a tight groan leaving his mouth as he tried to control himself. One of his hands traveled to her hip, brushing the skin beneath her shirt as she continued to kiss him fervently.

Without knowing it, Éponine had wanted this as much as he had. She wanted him, desperately and unconditionally. He slid one arm around her waist and pulled her close, holding her tightly against his body as the other hand grabbed one of her legs and lifted her up against the wall, his mouth capturing her lips once more. Enjolras did not say anything as her fingers worked with the buttons of his shirt, a groan escaping his mouth after her hands traveled the expanse of his chest, travelling from his stomach until she reached his neck. He thought she was beautiful, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. As she laid underneath him that was his only thought. How her cheeks were flushed, her eyes glowing as she looked at him, her skin warm against his. She was perfect.

For once, Enjolras did not mind the fact that he felt so powerless, because every time he was with Éponine, he felt like that. _Weak_. Their bodies molded perfectly against the other, his hands exploring every inch of her skin, feeling the soft texture underneath his fingertips. They had fought and screamed at each other countless times, but at that moment the only thought in their minds was that they wanted the other closer. They moved as if they knew exactly what to do every moment. Skin against skin, they met each other for the first time, his lips searing a path from her lips to her throat to her breasts, lower and lower, her hands scratching his back as his name left her lips.

Without a warning, she managed to roll them, one of her legs flying to his other side as she straddled him. They looked at each other intently, neither one of them daring to look away. Their cheeks were flushed, their chests rising and falling heavily. Enjolras had never seen her like this, all the worries and problems forgotten as she let herself get lost in something, _in him. _His heart was beating fast, his hands going up and down on her waist. Slowly, she leaned down and kissed his stomach, causing a guttural sound to emerge from the back of his throat. His eyes fluttered closed as her lips traced faintly his skin as she traveled up and kissed his throat.

She kissed his lips softly before straightening and whispering "Why me?"

He looked at her, his eyes hazy but still burning with passion. Her breath caught in her throat as every thought slipped from her mind. Slowly, Enjolras lifted up a hand and cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing her lower lip, swollen by his kiss.

"Do you know how it feels when you ride a rollercoaster?" he said quietly, his voice hoarse. She nodded slowly before he continued, his other hand tangling in her hair "At the beginning, you feel nervous, almost afraid of when the first fall is going to be. But then you are going up, and the wind is blowing on your face, adrenaline is pumping in your veins, and suddenly, you fall. You scream, perhaps even laugh or cry. But when it's over, you just want to ride it again, because that feeling, nothing else can give it to you. That's exactly how I feel with you, Éponine."

With great carefulness, he sat up slowly, taking her with him. She rested her hands on his shoulders, shivering in delight when his hands held her by the waist. Enjolras leaned forward and traced her jaw with his lips, the soft spot behind her ear before traveling to her neck and collarbones.

"Éponine…I think I love you"

For once, Enjolras did not mind when she shut him up with her lips, urgent and demanding. He pressed her against him, their chests colliding and making them gasp with surprise. Nothing could've prepared him for the way his heart seemed to burst when the words left her lips, soft as a caress, yet strong and powerful as a grenade.

"_I love you too_"

In one swift movement, he had her pinned down to the bed, his lips on hers fiercely, tilting his head as he deepened the kiss. He loved her, he loved her…and she loved him. Perhaps it was just his imagination playing games with him. How many nights had she been in his dreams, taunting and teasing him? But she is there now, loving him in a way only she can. She is strong, she is brave, _she is his. _He rolled his hips against hers, groaning as her heels pressed into his back, holding him close to her. He just admired at her, the way her hair was sprawled all around her, her full lips parted as she breathed, her eyes burning, her skin colliding against his. She is fire, she is rain, she is thunder, she is wind. He was Apollo, and she was the sun. They needed each other.

He thrust his hips forward, burying himself inside of her, moving his hand at the back of her neck, and lifting her up to kiss her with all the love he was capable of. She whispered his name, holding at him with desperation as her back arched, their eyes locked at every moment. At that moment, he swore his heart could've burst. The room was silent as he kissed her neck, her collarbone, her jaw, her forehead and finally her lips.

Perhaps he was made of marble, but for some unknown reason she had been able to crack it, just as he had finally melted her ice. They had spent their mornings sharing things about books, about life, about their hopes…their dreams. But they had been too blind to realize that their future was right in front of them.

She rested on her stomach, her head turned towards him. His fingertips traced her bare back, traveling up and down, soon replaced by his lips. She smiled and turned on her side, laughing when he groaned. He liked the sound of her laugh. He would make her laugh more often. Enjolras moved his body closer to hers and she did the same, his arm circling her waist trying to keep her close. He was too afraid that she might disappear. But she won't. She kissed his lips once more, trying to prove to him that she would stay. He understood and pressed a kiss in her forehead before pulling her into his chest, near to his heart. Which was now hers.


	5. Lucky I'm In Love With You

**_Title_**: _Lucky I'm In Love With You  
_

_**Summary**_: _Éponine and Enjolras were best friends. Everyone always says that a woman and a man can't be friends without one of them falling for the other. They usually laugh at this. But what happens when one of them begins falling? Or perhaps both of them?  
_

_**Note: **I'm really grateful for all of your comments! You are so amazing! This story is completely different than the last one, but still I tried to add some of my usual stuff.__ Thanks to my amazing beta-reader Judybear236, who keeps surprising me with her help! I would like to know what you think about this, your thoughts are something really important to me. I would like to know what kind of stories do you like the most or stuff like that. Thanks to those who take time to read this and to those who always leave their thoughts, I really appreciate it! Enjoy!_

* * *

The light that streamed through the window was enough to let her see clearly the words she was reading. Usually, he would've insisted on turning on the lamp at the nightstand, but for some unknown reason, he was silent as he read his own book. For someone who didn't know them, the position they had would be found very odd: the girl was resting with her head at the foot of the bed, her feet propped up on the wall, while he was sitting against the headboard as any normal person would. But then again, nothing in their friendship was what any person would call _normal._ They were two different persons who just happened to be best friends. Probably it was the way she had managed to crack his cold exterior, or perhaps the fact that he had won her trust in a very short amount of time. It still was a mystery to them.

But they were friends, best friends. She would hang out in his apartment for long stretches of time, not that it bothered him, in fact, he though his place looked brighter when she was in it. He loved when she managed to get him to relax, something not even Grantaire had ever accomplished. The way their friendship had blossomed was something that neither of them could understand until that day. Marius one night had brought to the Café the exotic brunette, who had managed to win all the Amis in a minute, all but Enjolras. It had taken a few more days until the marble-man had finally succumbed to the girl's charms, her dimpled smile that made everyone smile back involuntarily. Éponine had been trying to talk to the man for a couple of days, intrigued by all the things the Amis had told her about him. So when one day she arrived to the Musain and found him all alone reading a book, she decided that that was her chance. It had taken her a great amount of witty comments and sarcasm to finally manage to make him smile openly, and that night , they became friends.

If someone was more reserved than Éponine was, that would probably be Enjolras. And that was probably one of the reasons they had become close friends. Éponine would find in Enjolras support, someone who would listen to her and still she would be completely sure that would never repeat what she told him. Enjolras on the other hand, could find in Éponine everything that he himself didn't possess: she was free, in a way he couldn't understand. There was a certain boldness in the way she always moved, talked or even reacted that made Enjolras smile. She was odd, and he was odd too. They were odd. But they were best friends.

Of course they still hung out with the rest of the group, Enjolras would still enjoy talking with Combeferre or (to his frustration) smile when Grantaire began nagging at everyone when the alcohol reached his head. Éponine could still talk with Musichetta and Cosette about anything, although when Marius joined them, she would discretely walk away and go to wherever Enjolras was. He understood. Despite all the Amis' jokes, they were actually best friends. And that was all.

It was normal to them to share his bed as they lost themselves into two different kind of stories and worlds. While Éponine loved reading English and French literature (her favorites were Dickens and Shakespeare), Enjolras would find pleasure in his old copies about History (war, revolutions, stories about how men had fought for their beliefs). They would enjoy each other's presence, perhaps talk for a while or even tease the other. Later, when Enjolras declared that it was too late, he would order something to eat and then she would take off. Sometimes she would stay and sleep on his couch (because she was too proud to accept his bed), and still that felt too normal to them. Because they were best friends.

Éponine lifted her book so she could get a view of him, his brow furrowed in concentration as his eyes flew from one sentence to the other. Probably he was too blind to see it, but Éponine wasn't, and she was a woman, a woman who had a very handsome man for best friend. The guy didn't even care about his looks, his gold messy curls arranged perfectly around his face, one particular curl falling on his eyes. He had a sculpted jaw which he always kept clean shaven, but Éponine had had the privilege to witness how some days he would wear a scruffy jaw, too busy to have time to shave. He was tall, at least a half a head taller than she was, something he sometimes used against her. And still, when his clear blue eyes met hers, she jumped with surprise and lowered her book quickly. He chuckled.

Yeah, she had a quite good looking best friend.

"Were you staring at me?" his voice came as a mock.

She closed her book with a huff and placed it at her side "No I wasn't, I was just thinking."

He laughed and marked the page he was reading before closing it and placing it at the bed table before asking with a raised eyebrow "About what?"

"About how much I don't want to go to the reunion tomorrow" she groaned, placing her arms over her eyes.

"Come on" he said, straightening up "Everyone's going. And if you don't go probably Grantaire will drag you there."

"What's the point?" she whined "You have to admit that sometimes Marius and Cossette are really frustrating. Some day they will drown us with the amount of honey they pour."

Enjolras laughed, a sound that made a shiver run up Éponine's back. She lifted her arms enough to get a small view of his white teeth and smiled back.

"Yeah, they really are annoying" he nodded and then frowned "I still can't believe that they don't understand that it's gross to see them exchanging saliva."

"Ok, _that _was gross" Éponine laughed.

"Yes, sorry" he smiled back, his eyes softening "But still you should come, who will save me from Courfeyrac when he takes out the karaoke and tries to make me sing?"

"You'll survive" she stated with a grin as she patted his leg in a comforting manner "I've taught you well enough."

He poked her in the ribs "Please? Come on,´Ponine"

The brunette sighed dramatically before letting her head loll to one side, her cheek resting on the soft sheet "All right, but just because Courfeyrac always has the best alcohol."

He rolled his eyes but smiled. Éponine had been devastated when she found out that one of her best friends was dating the guy she liked. Although Enjolras had tried to assure her that everything was all right and that Marius was a complete idiot, still he had allowed her to have a time to get over it. That had been almost two years ago, and he was sure that she still wasn't over it completely, no matter how hard she tried to deny it. He slid one of his hands to her shin and squeezed it softly to get her attention. Her eyes shot up, meeting his. Sometimes he still was amazed at how her eyes seemed to glow, even when there was not enough light to cause it. They were wide and brown, warm.

"You sure you've already got over him?" he asked carefully, but still the concern in his voice was evident.

She felt a jolt of pain in her chest but fought it back and smiled "Of course."

He sighed and shook his head before chuckling "God, you are right about the honey thing."

She propped herself on her elbows, her eyes wide "I know, right!"

"I don't think I'll ever do that stuff with my girlfriend in public" he said with a disgusted expression "And if I ever do it, please slap me."

"What?" she gasped "The day you get a girlfriend I will shake her hand and wish her good luck!"

His jaw dropped with mock offense, and before she could comprehend what he was doing, his hands were already flying all over her sides and stomach tickling her, making her squirm as she slapped his forearms.

"I surrender! I surrender! Please stop!" she managed to gasp between laughter, her slaps becoming slower as he grinned and returned to his original position, a satisfied smirk in his face.

"The day I get a girlfriend I'll have to warn her about you" he said slowly, his arms crossed.

"The first thing you have to do in order to get a girlfriend is to actually _interact _with another female" she stated "And stop saying that your only love will always be Patria or whatever you say"

"But why do I need a girlfriend if I have you?" he asked, and although she wasn't aware of it, he was actually curious about that.

Éponine raised her head with her eyebrows up. At the sight of his slight frown, she realized that he actually was being serious about that. The day Enjolras had a girlfriend, that would probably be the end of their friendship, because Éponine was sure that no girl would approve her boyfriend laying on a bed with another girl (although they only were reading, but of course no one would believe that) Trying to ignore the stab of pain at the thought of Enjolras abandoning her, she jumped out of bed and turned to face him, her hands on her hips.

"Aside from that, someone will steal your heart someday, and you _will _have a girlfriend" she said as if it was the most obvious thing "Now, let's go get some ice-cream. I heard Feuilly said that they had new flavors"

She turned around to leave but then stopped and looked back, a mischievous smile in her lips, something that Enjolras was too familiar with. She had the same smile every time she had an idea.

"I'll begin teaching you about women" she stated before raising one finger "Rule number one: ice-cream always makes everything better for us. Always."

And with that she hopped out of the room, leaving Enjolras behind with an amused expression. He would never know that sometimes she imagined what it would be like if instead of falling in love with Marius, she would've fallen for him. She would never know that he sometimes wondered the same. She would never understand that for him, she was everything that he had been looking for.

* * *

Éponine never thought that it would hurt her like that. But it had. And she couldn't stand it, so she decided that the best idea was to run away. The reunion was going as usual: Grantaire was already lying on the couch, a bottle in his hand. Jehan and Joly were blasting to a Spice Girl's song while Musichetta and Éponine cheered them enthusiastically, making it almost impossible for Enjolras to hear what Combeferre was trying to say to him. Éponine loved her friends, every single one of them, and sometimes she would find herself smiling while she looked at them.

But when Marius burst through the door with a silly smile on his face and dragging a very flushed Cosette with him, her smile faltered. Her eyes looked immediately for Enjolras, who she found to her own surprise, was already looking at her.

"We have an important announce to tell you" Marius chirped as he pressed Cosette tightly to his side.

All the Amis were now looking at him with expectant eyes, even Grantaire, who had woke up when Bossuet had slapped him at the back of his head which was dangling precariously from the edge of the couch. Éponine stood behind the couch, her arms crossed as her eyes darted from Marius to Cosette impatiently.

She should have seen it coming. The constant nervousness of the man when he was with his girlfriend lately, the fact that they could barely be somewhere without the other. They had arrived late, and when they did, they had something to announce. She should have seen it coming. But she didn't.

"We are getting married!" He exclaimed with a jubilant voice as Cosette raised her hand with a giggle to let them all see the sparkling diamond in her finger.

It was all a blur from there. She remembered the feeling of a stone sinking in her stomach, how her hands turned suddenly cold, the worried expressions in all the Amis' faces as they turned to see her. And most of all, the look in Enjolras' eyes. As Grantaire stood up and approached the couple stiffly and saying with sarcasm _"You have the perfect timing" _to Marius, who just looked at the man with a questioning glance before hugging him back, all the Amis followed him and congratulated them. Éponine felt as if her body was moving to its own accord, her feet slowly retreating from the couch before turning around and disappearing from the apartment.

But Enjolras had seen her. And while he had been trying to shield her from the pain of losing Marius, once Marius had announced his engagement he realized he could no longer do so. His reaction had been too slow and now the brunette had escaped into the night. He decided to follow her, not before turning around and catching Grantaire's eye, who just nodded. Enjolras nodded back before disappearing behind her. There would be only a place in which she would hide. And he knew it because he had shown her there.

Éponine ran as fast as her feet would carry her down the street, tears falling down her cheeks as the wind hit her face. She was so stupid, how could she ever believe that this would not happen? Sooner or later, it was obvious that Marius would propose. But still, a small part of her still had hope. Hope that perhaps one day he would notice her. But tonight the little part of her had been crushed, and finally, she was free.

But it hurt. And how much it hurt.

Enjolras couldn't breathe properly until he finally saw her. She was exactly where he thought she would be. Their hiding place. Probably to anyone the roof of his building would be something unpleasant or dirty, but for them it was the opportunity of being above everything, the world at their feet. The view was something incredible, the lights of the city making it even more breathtaking. And Éponine was there, sitting against the wall, her gaze lost somewhere else.

"I thought you said you were over him" he said quietly with a sad smile.

Her head snapped up, her eyes meeting his. She should have known that he would come after her, he was always her knight in shining armor, and this time he didn't let her down. He slid down the wall and sat by her side, their shoulders touching. The warmth from his skin was enough to make her feel a little bit better, but still the pain on her chest was still there. She bit her lip to stop more tears from falling down. She hated crying, it made her look weak. And she wasn't weak.

"I am" she answered with a dark laugh as her eyes drifted towards the city once more "It's just, I got this incredible need to get out of that apartment and come here to enjoy the view."

"I'm sorry" he muttered, not really sure of what he was supposed to say. Buy ice-cream? Watch romantic movies with her? Pat her hair and tell her that everything would be all right?

She laughed quietly before leaning more against his shoulder "What for? This is probably what I needed. I knew this would happen someday, the thing is that I needed it to hit me straight into my face to realize that what I wanted would never happen."

"He's an idiot, you know that" he chuckled and glanced at her.

"I know" she sighed, resting her head on his shoulder "But you know what? I feel a lot better now, it's like if I'm finally able to breathe properly, I think I really needed this to finally be able to _move _on."

"So you are better now?" he wondered with confusion as his cheek rested on her hair.

Enjolras was not the best at handling emotional women. He wasn't good at handling women in general, let alone feelings and emotions. Sometimes when he was with Éponine his tongue would get twisted and he would end up saying what he wasn't supposed to say, but she would brush it off and forget it. That was one of the reasons they were best friends. Because she understood how difficult it was for him to express what he was feeling. They remained silent for a long time, the only sound were the cars down the street, the night's wind and their slow breathing.

"Rule number two" she whispered, and although he couldn't see her, he knew she was smiling "When a girl says something is all right, you _better _worry."

He chuckled "Does that apply to you too?"

"Nope" she giggled, taking his hand in hers and slowly intertwining their fingers "I'm not like most of the girls."

* * *

"You sure you want to do this?" he asked for the hundredth time that evening.

He had his back to her as he pressed the buttons on his stereo, the soft sound of a piano suddenly flowing from the speakers. Éponine had asked Enjolras for dancing lessons, and although at first he had been a little reluctant about the fact that she wanted to learn for the wedding, in the end he had given up and now they were at his apartment, just about to begin what would be the most interesting two hours in Enjolras' life.

"Of course" she said with a tired sigh before standing up and placing her hands on her hips and tilting her head to one side "What kind of maid of honor would I'd be if I cannot dance?"

Enjolras rolled his eyes "I still can't believe you actually agreed to be her maid of honor."

Éponine would never admit it, but not even she could understand why she had said yes on the first place. Surely those big doe eyes of Cosette had a lot to do with it. But after all, Cosette was one of her closest friends, and she had done nothing wrong, just fallen in love. The pain in her heart was beggining to fade away, and now she was able to see or talk to Marius and nothing would happen inside of her. Enjolras had said that probably everything was for the better, and that finally she would be able to move on. Éponine had secretly accepted to be Cosette's maid of honor mainly because she wanted to prove to herself that she was far over Marius. Besides, it was the first time any of her closest friends got married, and helping her with all the things that needed to be done would be a great opportunity to spend more time with her friend.

"Me neither" Éponine sighed "Well, she's my friend…and I couldn't let her down. I owe her a lot, to her father and to her. So I think it's the most honorable thing to do. I really care about her…she's one of my best friends."

Enjolras stared at her with wide eyes, glowing with what could only be described as surprise. Feeling rather nervous underneath his gaze, she brushed her hair with her hand trying hard to fight the heat that was threatening to burn her cheeks.

"Well, are you going to teach me or not?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

He shook his head before walking to stand in front of her and holding out his hand. She took it, feeling Enjolras pulling her closer. He showed her where to place her hands, one on his shoulder and the other still locked with his. She felt his arm wrapping around her lower back tentatively, giving an encouraging squeeze to her hand. Éponine couldn't believe that her best friend was able to dance, to be precise, that he had been forced to learn by his mother.

"She insisted that her son needed to learn the delicate art of dancing" he mocked as he slowly rotated them around the living room.

Éponine laughed at his expression before stepping on his feet for the third time. He let out a soft cry before shaking his head and assuring her that he was fine. She stepped on them a couple times more but slowly she began to learn how to do it, her feet moving with his in a constant rhythm. At some point, she looked down to watch their footwork, trying to avoid hurting him a ninth time.

"Eyes on me," he said quietly, lifting her chin with one finger before returning his hand to her back "Just let me lead you."

She let out a sigh. Their eyes never broke away from each other from that moment on as they danced. It was in moments like this when Éponine let her mind wonder in what might have been. What if Enjolras was more than her best friend? What if she would've fallen for him instead of Marius? Would he be like this with her? Her train of thought was interrupted when her foot was over Enjolras' and somehow she managed to trip with the rug. In one swift movement, his arm tightened around her and steadied her. She looked up with wide eyes, meeting his blue eyes which were sparkling with amusement.

"I really can't dance!" Éponine whined as Enjolras tried to begin moving again, but she let go of his hand and stepped away "Actually I don't understand why I'm doing this if I don't even have a partner."

"Do you need a partner?" He asked confused.

"No, I don't" she admitted with defeat "But Cosette put in my invitation "Plus One" which means that she expects me to bring someone. In other words: that my love life sucks."

Enjolras chuckled at her expression before reaching her arm and pulling her close so they could dance again. She sighed and rested her forehead on his shoulder. He continued to move, the soft sound of the piano calming her somehow. After a moment of silence, she felt him talk as his chest rumbled slightly with his voice.

"If you want to, I could be your partner" he offered quietly.

She leaned back and tilted her head with wonder "Really?"

He gave her a smirk before averting his gaze "Yeah, why not? You are my best friend, after all"

It was in moments like this when Éponine really wished that they were together, that Enjolras was that special someone who taught her how to dance, who would listen to her fears, or buy her ice-cream when she was sad. She blinked and leaned her forehead once more against his chest. Perhaps there were things that were not meant to be.

"Thank you," she whispered with her eyes closed, before a mischievous smile appeared on her lips "Rule number three: When a girl says she can't dance, she _can't _dance."

Éponine felt the slight rumble of his chest before they continued to dance in silence. Although Éponine would never know, Enjolras would've died if she appeared in the arm of another man. Éponine wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she could've sworn that he held her tighter this time.

* * *

Enjolras stood up rubbing his eyes as he approached the door. It was barely past midnight but he had managed to fall down asleep at his desk, papers sprawled everywhere. He rubbed his aching neck before pulling the door open. Éponine stood at the other side, her eyes wide and an apologetic smile in her lips. She lifted her hands slightly to show him the box of pizza and the pack of beers she was holding. She looked tired, and if anyone else would've seen her, they would've thought that she was fine. But Enjolras knew better. The dark circles underneath her eyes were almost imperceptible, but he noticed. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, tendrils of her dark chocolate curls hanging loose around her face. With a quick glance he noticed that she was wearing his grey hoodie (the one she had stolen from him like a month ago) with denim shorts. Her eyes were weary, but still, she had a smile on her lips.

"Éponine?" he asked with a slight frown.

"I've got pizza" she offered with an embarrassed smile.

He opened the door wider to let her in before she skipped inside with a giggle. She knew pizza was his weakness. He closed the door slowly before turning around and taking the box and beers from her hands. She sighed and threw herself onto the couch, her legs hooked over the back and her head dangling at the edge of the couch.

"I'm so tired" she whined lifting her legs up "Cosette has gone mad!"

Enjolras grabbed her legs in an attempt to keep her from falling on her head, which only made the brunette laugh. He sighed and let go of her legs, circling the couch and placing the pizza and the beers on the table before kneeling in front of her so now his eyes were at the same level as hers.

"And you are about to follow her there too. Now get up and sit so we can eat" He ordered before placing a hand under her neck and helping her up.

Éponine grabbed her purse and took out a DVD, a smile appearing in her lips at the expression of disgust in Enjolras' face as he read _My Best Friend's Wedding_. The movie played in the television as they ate the pizza comfortably on his couch, her legs folded beneath her as she chewed the food slowly, her eyes never leaving the screen. Enjolras had grown accustomed to the fact that Éponine did enjoy the cheesy romantic movies, but she also liked the fact that he hated them, and she did it just to have an excuse to tease him. Despite that, he always stayed with her. Probably because he liked when her face beamed when the main characters discovered that they were in love. Or perhaps that she would curl up against him when something bad happened to the girl. But they were best friends, and that was what friends did.

"The day before your wedding I will watch this movie." He whispered before she began nibbling the border of her slice.

"In that case it should be _me_ the one to watch it" she clarified, taking a gulp from her beer before continuing "I will be Julia Roberts."

Enjolras chuckled and raised a brow, asking with a mock tone "Oh, so that means you will be crazy in love with me?"

Éponine almost choked on her beer before she began coughing frantically. Enjolras laughed and began patting her back so she could breathe properly again. Her head snapped up, her eyes shining with tears, a mocking brow up.

"Wow, you really have a big ego, don't you?" she teased, trying to hide the fact that she indeed was feeling nervous.

"I try" he nodded before returning his attention towards the movie.

Éponine smiled to herself and did the same, grabbing another slice of pizza. Although she was fighting hard to ignore the lump that had formed in her throat, she couldn't deny that the feelings that she was beginning to develop for her best friend were something scary. And despite the obvious fact that it would never happen, she still let her mind wonder what it would be like if one day they ended up together. She tried to imagine what it would be like to be his girlfriend. She let her lips turn up slightly when he put his arm behind her casually. Stealing a glace to him, she tried to ignore the disappointment when she realized that he had done it without realizing it.

They continued to watch the movie. Enjolras fought the impulse of moving his leg to the rhythm of the music as the cast began singing _"I Say A Little Prayer"_, while Éponine was singing it cheerfully. It was then when an idea came to her.

"Rule number four" she instructed, turning herself so she could face him "When a girl says the guy from the movie is cute, you need to ask if she believes he's cuter than you are. Don't know why, but we found that adorable-You know what? Let's practice!"

He raised an eyebrow but moved so he would be facing her "You are crazy."

"Shut up and do what I say!" she ordered before morphing her expression into a childish one, moving her eyelashes in a girlish way "Oh My God! He is so cute! Just look at him!"

Enjolras stared at her dumbfounded before the girl slapped him on the arm urging him to go on.

"Do you-Do you think he's cuter than me?" he stuttered, feeling more stupid with each word he said.

"Oh! Of course not, _honey" _she answered with a fake laughter before inching closer to him_ "_Nobody is cuter than you are!"

And before he could realize what she was doing, she had already thrown herself to him and began kissing his cheeks soundly. Enjolras squirmed beneath her as the girl planted wet kisses on his cheeks, laughing happily as he tried to push her away. Finally, she jumped away and continued to laugh leaning back onto the armchair, grabbing her ribs as she fought for air. Enjolras kept his eyes on her, his eyes sparkling with amusement although he rubbed his cheeks furiously.

That night, as Éponine rested against him, the credits rolling on the screen of the television, he thought that for the first time in his life, he had felt what Éponine's lips felt like. Soft and electric, burning his skin in a way nothing or no one had ever before. He glanced down to see her, her head resting on his shoulder while her arm circled his stomach. Enjolras felt his cheeks warm at her closeness, his arm around her shoulders as he had unconsciously pulled her closer to him. Of course he had seen her sleep before (not in a creepy way), she sometimes crawled into his bed when it was raining and he would hold her gladly. But this time, something felt different, as if he didn't wanted to let go of her.

He wasn't good with women. He wasn't good with feelings. But with Éponine, everything was different, as if he could be himself and would never get judged by it. He wasn't used to hugging someone or showing any kind of affection. But then again, when he was with Éponine, a part of him appeared that not even he knew existed. An almost imperceptible smile grazed his lips before he leaned his head against hers, his eyes closing. Yeah, he could get used to this.

* * *

Éponine was sitting on the table Cosette had assigned to the Amis. Except for the fact that she was all alone. Glancing around the room, she caught sight of Courfeyrac's dark curls as he danced a slow song with the girl he had brought, who was stunning. Continuing her exploration, she decided to admit that they had done a pretty damn good job with the with the decoration. The soft lights added a violet glow to the room, the beautiful ice sculpture shining in the opposite corner, while the bar looked incredible. Including the very highly intoxicated Grantaire who had spent almost the entire night there. She chuckled and turned around, grabbing a cracker and popping it into her mouth.

Although she had been quite nervous when the couple began saying their vows, Éponine had managed to stay calm and composed, surprised when she felt nothing as the priest pronounced them husband and wife. Probably the fact that Enjolras had held her hand tightly throughout all the ceremony had helped her a lot, the constant reminder that she wasn't alone helping her to not feel any pain. Although she barely felt nothing at all now. Enjolras had offered her the comfort she needed, he had stayed by her side all the time, before the ceremony began and even as she walked down the aisle, his eyes had found hers and given her a reassuring smile. After the newlyweds shared their first kiss (something Enjolras tried to spare her from seeing by hugging her), they began taking the photos, of them, the couple with their families and then with the maid of honor and the best man, Courfeyrac. As soon as the last picture was taken, Enjolras was already by her side, offering his arm as they descended the stairs.

Although Éponine had assured him that she was completely fine, he still remained by her side, being the caring friend he always was. With her, of course. Somehow, Musichetta had found out that he knew how to dance, and in a blink of an eye, the redhead had dragged him to the dance floor, leaving a laughing Éponine behind. She hadn't seen him for a while, and somehow the Amis had dragged her to dance. Combeferre was by far the best dancer, probably because he had taken classes like Enjolras had, but there was nothing like dancing with Jehan, who moved with a delicacy she really admired. She tried to do everything Enjolras had taught her, and in a while, she found herself truly enjoying the party. Popping a cherry into her mouth, she decided that she felt a thousand times better than she did when she was head over toes for the freckled guy.

"Would you dance with me?" Enjolras held out his hand towards her, a playful glow in his eyes.

"I thought you would never ask" she answered politely before taking his hand and giggling, letting him drag her to the dance floor.

His hands found her waist rapidly, her hand on his shoulder as he lifted their locked hands and began moving slowly. Soon, the usual calmness that her body felt whenever she was with Enjolras flooded her, the warmth emanating from his body comforting her. His hand was on her back as he absent-mindedly drew circles with his thumb, sending shivers up her spine. Lifting her head, his eyes met hers. Even under the dim light, his clear blue eyes were sparkling, his powerful gaze piercing her soul. He smiled. She loved when he smiled.

She smiled back. He loved when she smiled. Although the room was filled with women, somehow he found himself gravitating towards her the whole night, his eyes finding her quickly. Probably it had something to do with her dark blue dress, the silk almost as soft as her skin. Or perhaps it was the way the stylist had done her make-up, making her cheeks look sharper, her eyes bigger and even warmer. Or the pale pink on her lips, making them look even fuller. No. It was her smile. The way the room seemed to brighten at that moment, her dimples making his knees weak.

Éponine felt her head heavy and soon her forehead was resting on his shoulder, her hand letting go of his and circling the back of his neck, intertwining her fingers together. She almost jumped when she felt his other hand resting on her hip almost tentatively, bringing her closer. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his hands around her, making her feel protected and needed. Éponine imagined that he was embracing her, pulling her close because he needed her closer, because he wanted her to be closer.

It was in moments like this when she really wished that he loved her as much as she did.

The song came to an end, but the next began almost immediately. She opened her eyes, blinking repeatedly and returning back to reality. She felt Enjolras lean forward before his breath hitting her temple made her shiver.

"What do you say if we get out of here?"

* * *

As he parked the car, Éponine narrowed her gaze and tried to see what was outside as she pressed her face to the window. As soon as she agreed, he had taken her hand and guided her out of the room and straight into his car. He smiled at her excited face as he drove full speed down the highway in a direction she had never seen before. He had already loosened his tie, complaining about how he was choking, her only answer a giggle before she turned up to music and began singing cheerfully. Turning off the car, he hopped out and ran to open her door, offering her his hand. Éponine took it and stood up, faltering as the high heels Cossette had made her wear clicked against the pavement.

"Wait" Enjolras said glancing down at her feet "You better take those off, I don't think you'd like stepping on grass and walking with them."

He didn't needed to say it twice before she had already take them off and threw them inside his car before continuing their journey. The night was silent, the only sound were the crickets, the wind, and…if Éponine was right…was it water? As the grass caressed her toes, Éponine followed Enjolras as he walked down the deserted park, the moonlight guiding somehow their way. She shivered involuntarily and in a blink of an eye, Enjolras was already placing his jacket on her shoulders. She began complaining but he seemed to ignore her, chuckling slightly before grabbing her by the hand and pulling her by his side, walking faster.

After what seemed an eternity to her (which were practically no more than ten minutes), Enjolras stopped and motioned her to turn around. Slowly, she gasped with surprise as the pond came in sight, the water glowing with the reflection of the moon, some fireflies dancing around it. Placing a hand in the small of her back, Enjolras pushed her forwards until they were only meters apart from the water, the scent of flowers she couldn't see overwhelming her. She smiled.

Éponine sat down and Enjolras followed her, placing a hand at her side from behind. She leaned back, her eyes never leaving the view as they sparkled with excitement and awe. She rested her back against his chest, a content sigh leaving her lips. They stayed silent for a long time, enjoying the feeling of the other. Perhaps it was there where she should've been all night. She should've been with him. He had been there for her every single time she needed him, or even if it was just to read in silence or watch a movie, even tease the other. Somehow he had made her get over Marius…because he was the one, the one she had always dreamt of. Her knight in shining armor.

"You never told me what you think of the dress" she whispered quietly, a smile in her lips.

"You look beautiful" he answered.

She felt her breath catch in her throat as she straightened and turned around to face him, her eyes wide and a soft pink coloring her cheeks. He had never told her before that she was beautiful. That she looked good or pretty, yes. But _never_ beautiful.

"You always look beautiful" he breathed out, lifting his hand and placing a tendril of her hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering more than it was needed on her cheek. "I think it's obvious that there's something going on right now…well, not right now, but for a while. You are my best friend, but I want more. I don't know if that's what you want too, but I've realized that whenever I'm with you, everything is better and I just want to know if that's wha-"

The next thing he remembered was that her lips were pressed against his. His eyes were wide, although Éponine closed hers, trying to not see his surprised expression. Soon, she felt that he began to respond to her kiss, one of his hands flying to the back of her neck and pulling her closer to him. He moved back, pulling her down with him as she left out a gasp of surprise as she laid atop him. He leaned against her, trying to feel every curve of her body, her hand traveling up to tangle in his curls.

She had wanted this for such a long time, and as he answered to her kiss, she felt every atom in her body scream. Their tongues danced against the other, fighting for control as his began outlining the contour of her lower lip before he deepened the kiss, smiling slightly against her lips as a gasp left her mouth. She broke the kiss, despite his attempt of pulling her close again. Her breathing was heavy but not better than his.

"I love you" she blurted out, her eyes nervously scanning her face.

His eyes were wide before a bright smile appeared on his lips. He pulled her down again, crashing his lips against hers. Every thought slipped her mind, his lips demanding and sweet at the same time. He broke the kiss once more, but his lips remained close to hers.

"Rule number one: don't tell a man you love him before he gets the chance" he smirked, his breath tickling her face.

"Shut up" she ordered playfully before silencing him with her lips.

So it seemed that in the end, a man could never be best friend with a woman without falling for the other. But that didn't matter to her at that moment. Her best friend was a damn good kisser.


	6. Draw My Soul

**_Title_**: _Draw My Soul_

_**Summary**_: _She's a dancer. He's a painter. They meet by accident and soon, his mind is plagued with thoughts of the girl with mysterious eyes and enigmatic smile. What happens when his notebooks are filled with drawings of her too?  
_

_**Note:** __I struggled a lot with this one__. And I could say that by far this is the longest I've written, well until now, who knows if the next one won't be as long as this one? I'm pretty happy with the result and I hope that you'll like it as much as I do. A huge thanks to my beta-reader Judybear236, her ideas and opinions are really important to me, also as her suggestions that always work out. Feel free to leave your opinions about this story, it still thrills me every time I read what you have to say, I feel incredibly honored to have people like you reading my stories, your thoughts encourage me to keep going. No more talking, go ahead and enjoy.  
_

* * *

Éponine was a dancer. When she danced, all her problems disappeared, there was nothing else but her body and the music. The way her soul seemed to burst into flames was something she always cherished, making her feel more alive than she had ever been. The fact that she had been able to win a scholarship to attend one of the most praised Art Schools was still something that surprised her. Every single day, she practiced and practiced, because practice makes perfect. She wouldn't stop until her muscles burned or her feet bled. Ballet was a difficult dance, but since she was little, dancing had been her only way to escape from her reality. Her mother had forced her to take some lessons, and from that day on, she hadn't missed one single class. Even when her father had turned into a monster, her teacher had agreed to continue teaching her, even if she couldn't afford the classes. Because she had seen something in Éponine, something big, something special.

So it hadn't been a surprise when one day she received a letter inviting her to attend the National Art School in Paris. Her parents had been opposed to that, reaching a point in which they had locked her in her room, no food. When morning came, they discovered that the window was broken, no trace of their daughter. But it was too late to do anything, Éponine was already sitting in a train headed toward Paris. The two years she had been at the school had been the best two years of her life. She would dance all morning, study during the afternoons and then two more classes at night. But she didn't complain. She was a dancer, and she loved it.

Enjolras was a painter, something that probably was not the career choice some of the friends of his parents were expecting. Being the only son of the most respectable lawyer in all the city had cost him quite a big deal when he decided that he wanted to dedicate his life to the Arts. At first, his father had filled his mind with thoughts about how great he could be if he studied to become a lawyer. Enjolras was still too young and foolish to have an opinion of his own, and as a good kid does, he obeyed whatever his father ordered. Soon, he began assisting to all the events the family's law-firm organized, getting to meet other businessmen. Before long, Enjolras began realizing that the world which they lived in was a world built on money and lies. That's when he began drawing.

His sketches soon became drawings, and the drawings soon became paintings. He painted about freedom, about justice, he painted about a life without discrimination. _Patria _became his muse, and from that on, he spent his days locked in his room, capturing on paper what he hoped one day would become a reality. The day he received his acceptance letter to the National Art School was the day he realized that he didn't have a father anymore. His words still echoed in Enjolras' head sometimes _"No son of mine will become an artist." _He hadn't seen him for two years. His mother had been supportive, even to the point that she sent him monthly all the money he needed.

They would've never dared to think that one day, they would meet. One was a dancer, the other was a painter. But one day, it happened. "It" was an accident, although probably neither of them would admit the fault. The collision had been rather hard, sending her sliding a few meters away, slippers and CDs sprawled around her. He, on the other hand, had fallen to the opposite side, papers and cardboards flying around, tins of paint popping open, covering the floor with a kaleidoscope of colors.

"I'm so sorry!" he apologized, hurriedly getting on his knees and gathering some of her CDs that had flown in his direction, crawling on all fours and staining his jeans in the process "I didn't see you there!"

"Of course you didn't" she answered bitterly crawling to grab her slippers. Of course this would happen to her. Now some of her CDs were ruined. "Great, this one is broken."

"I'm really sorry" the student continued, picking up one of his cardboards which was now dripping with yellow.

"Yeah, whatever. The next time you decide to hit someone, please just see that it's not me, all right?" she complained furiously, her brow furrowed in anger "You really need to watch where you are walking, you can't just go blindly bumping everyone and- fuck, this is just great, this one's broken too- you see what you did you piece-"

She lifted her gaze to insult him properly before her sentence was drowned in her throat. His cheeks were flushed as he wiped the floor frantically, his golden curls bouncing with each movement. He suddenly looked up, his crystal blue eyes stormy as his eyes locked with hers. His scruffy jaw was probably the most endearing thing she had ever seen, his square glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose as he stared at her, his lips pressed in a tight line. And even like that, she noticed that his bottom lip was a bit fuller than the other. He blinked, an undecipherable expression in his face.

"I'll pay for them" he said apologetically before he stood up and offered her his hand, which she took a little reluctantly.

She took his hand and he couldn't help himself from thinking that they were incredibly soft and warm. He gave her an embarrassed smile before kneeling down and grabbing her bag, which was now stained with drops of yellow. He was staring and he knew that. His mouth suddenly went dry, slightly open. He knew that she probably thought he looked like an idiot but he couldn't seem to get his eyes away from her as she straightened, flipping her hair over her shoulder and revealing a long neck.

Her cheeks were pink from the heat of the day, or probably it was just because she was really angry. Her eyes were wide and warm, probably the biggest eyes he had ever seen. Her long dark brown waves reached her mid shoulder, her skin had an olive color that reminded him of one of his favorite watercolors. Enjolras couldn't understand what was happening inside of him. Girls had never caught his eye before, not in this way. Yes, he had dated and had a couple of girlfriends. But to blatantly observe a girl was something completely different. He wasn't like the rest of his friends. He was constantly surrounded by beautiful things and beautiful persons, but not ever had he felt so interested by someone before. Courfeyrac always teased him about the way some girls seemed to be attracted to him, although not even once had he returned the attention.

He was vaguely aware that she was saying something to him, too dumbfounded to even find the right words to answer. The girl nodded and turned around, walking down the hall hurriedly, her sneakers leaving yellow stains behind. He stood motionless watching her retreating form until she disappeared. He should've asked her name. No, he shouldn't. He could've stopped gawking at her. But he didn't. That night, he drew her for the first time, sketches in his notebook that perhaps one day he would paint in a canvass. He tried to forget her. He couldn't.

* * *

It had been a week. A week in which he hadn't thought of her at all, too busy and concentrated with his classes and homework. But that afternoon, as he stirred his coffee with the spoon, he let his mind return to the intriguing girl. He began tracing patterns in his notebook, soon, the lines became curves, and the curves became the shadow of a face, then a neck, long arms and tiny waist. He shook his head and let go of the pencil as if it was on fire. He didn't liked acting the way he was, he didn't even know her name and now he was drawing her. He was going crazy, it simply wasn't normal. She was starting to push through all his thoughts despite his attempt to just forget her. He didn't need this. He didn't _want _this.

His head snapped up when the door swung open, his throat going instantly dry. It was her. The raven-haired girl walked into the Musain, out of all the places he was hoping to find her, this one was definitely the last one. She glanced in his direction, and he took notice of the flash of surprise in her eyes before going to the counter. He also took notice of the yellow stains in her bag and in her old sneakers. She looked away and ordered her drink, and that's when Enjolras forced his eyes away. Realizing that he was staring at the drawing of the girl, he closed his notebook hurriedly and took out a book. Fighting the urge to look up again, he lifted his eyes slowly as the girl waited for her drink, twisting and rolling her ankle in a way too familiar to him.

Deciding that it would be the best to ignore her, he opened the book and began reading. But apparently, that wasn't what the girl had in mind. Without a warning, the chair across from him was pulled out. Enjolras lifted his gaze with surprise only to see her taking her seat there, right across from him, a mug in her hands. Not knowing what to do, Enjolras just stared at her, not being able to say anything.

"So you are an artist" she said, her voice a combination between a statement and a question.

"A painter" he corrected with a nod "And you're a dancer."

"A ballerina" she answered mirroring him. She lifted the cup to her lips before asking "How did you know?"

He lifted his eyes and met her electric stare, shocking him with its intensity. Closing his book slowly and fully committing to the conversation, he tried to hide the obvious fact of how unnerved she was making him feel.

"The other day, when we…uhm-_collided, _I saw your slippers" he replied a little too insecurely. Of course, he wouldn't share with her the fact that he had been watching her as she moved her feet in the way a ballerina did. "And you?"

"Not many guys walk down the hallways carrying tins of paint" she mused, placing a tendril of hair behind her ear before chuckling "Besides, you also have paint _there_."

She pointed with one finger to a spot beneath his jaw. Raising his eyebrows with confusion, he lifted one hand to touch where she had signaled. The dry texture of paint came in contact with his fingertips as he felt the back of his neck turn suddenly hot. Taking a napkin, he rubbed the spot furiously before the sound of her laugh made him stop. Gazing at her startled, he noticed for the first time the outstanding dimples she had in each cheek. His hands itched to draw her face down in paper.

She was quiet after that and he waited for her to speak, but then he noticed that she had her mind somewhere else, he lowered his eyes back to his book and opened it again. When he realized that he wasn't paying attention to what he was reading, he looked up, startled to discover that she was already looking at him.

He cleared his throat and pushed his glasses up "About those CDs I broke-"

"Oh, _those_. Don't worry, my best friend is studying music production so she can make me another copy." She interrupted with a wave of her hand "I just overreacted that day, I wasn't on the best of my moods, and you just happened to be there. Sorry about that."

"No problem" he answered, and that was enough to make her expression beam with contentment.

"So you are a painter" she noted as she studied his hands. His long fingers were stained with dry paint he hadn't been able to remove, some cuts here and there he had made with paper and scissors. Suddenly aware of her intense gaze, he rolled his wrists with quick movements. "What do you paint about?"

He thought about it for a moment before simply stating "Life."

"I like the sound of that" she smiled. He liked her smile. He would draw her smile later.

"I'm glad" he answered politely nodding at her.

Perhaps he should've said something more, ask her about her dancing or something. But he couldn't find himself to do it. He was too afraid that he would say the wrong thing and maybe scare her away. Although she didn't seem like the kind of girl that got scared easily. Before he could get himself to ask her something, she was already standing up from her seat.

"This was nice, but sadly I need to go. Rehearsals are calling me" she said before draining her mug and placing it down on the table, hanging her bag over her shoulder "We should do this again."

"Yeah, we should" he muttered, although she was already opening the door and stepping out to the street.

Enjolras wished more than anything to bang his head down on the table. Aside from feeling extremely embarrassed, he was now completely sure that she thought that he was weird. He should've talked to her, shown some interest and ask her something. Because he was dying to know more about the dancer. He was about to open his notebook when the door opened once more.

From that moment on, everything happened like in slow motion. He lifted his eyes unconsciously to see who it was. He felt his stomach form knots as the girl entered the Café once more, a bewildered expression in her face. Noting that he was staring at her with confusion, she walked hurriedly towards his table.

"I totally forgot about it!" she exclaimed before extending her hand to him "I'm Éponine"

He felt the corners of his mouth turn up slightly before reaching out and grabbing her hand, shaking it gently "Enjolras"

She smiled happily "Nice to _finally _meet you, Enjolras. See you around!"

And with that she walked out of the Musain again, beaming. Enjolras stared dumbfounded at the spot in which she had disappeared. It was after a moment later that he realized that he now knew her name. _Éponine. _It suited her, he thought. He mumbled under his breath and tested it on his tongue, rolling out easily. It was already too late to try to forget her, with her name now freshly impressed in his mind, the picture of her glowed even more vividly than it had a week ago.

That night, two more drawings were made in his notebook, and for the first time he painted her. As her image came slowly to life on the white canvas, he found himself more and more enthralled by her. Moving the paintbrush and creating in one swift movement the bridge of her nose, he noticed for the first time that she was the first woman he had ever painted before. Of course he had once done a replica of the famous painting of Patria guiding her people towards liberty, but that had been different. _Patria_ had always been his muse, but as the paintbrush moved to its own accord, adding deepness and warmth to her big eyes, Enjolras thought that perhaps Éponine was much more alike to _Patria _than he believed_. _

Hours later, as Enjolras stood in front of the finished painting, his arms aching and his fingers numb, he thought that perhaps getting to know Éponine wasn't such a bad idea. He stared at her painting, and she stared back. But as he fell into oblivion that night, his head buried deep into his pillow, one last thought appeared in his mind: his painting didn't show enough of the warmth that the eyes of the real girl did.

* * *

It turns out that they kept seeing each other during the afternoons. He would always be there before she arrived, and would stay an hour more after she was already gone. As the days passed, he found himself growing more interested in her, captivated with the way her eyes seemed to change from a mood to another in just a second. Enjolras was one of those persons who could easily tell what a person was thinking with just a look. But with Éponine it was different. When he was sure that he had guessed what she was thinking, she opened her mouth and proved that he was completely wrong.

Days became weeks, and during the times they shared together, Enjolras discovered things about her that made him curious to know even more. They spent less than an hour together, and he soon realized that he actually enjoyed that time, he could even dare to say that it was his favorite part of the whole day. The first days had been rather uncomfortable for him, a constant attempt of the girl to make him talk. Slowly, he began opening more and more, just as she did. Underneath the confident façade she always put on, Enjolras began to notice that she was actually a very frail human being. Although he was sure that she wouldn't like him telling that. As a dancer, Éponine owned a natural elegance in the way she moved that always managed to startle him. Even when they were sitting, Enjolras knew that her feet were constantly in motion, whether it was unconsciously or if she was rehearsing some dance moves, he never knew.

"Why aren't you wearing your glasses?" she asked curiously tilting her head to one side.

He turned around and pulled the glasses from the depths of his bag before he explained "I only wear them when I'm drawing, for details and all that stuff."

"So you don't need them?" she continued, taking the glasses from his hands and putting them on.

He chuckled quietly as she studied him behind his glasses "No. I just like to wear them."

"Well, I like how you look with them. So put them on" she demanded leaning over the table and putting them to him.

They talked about books. Anything about books. He found himself getting lost in her words, the way she described her favorite books or characters. She also was a good listener, somehow when he was with her, he couldn't close his mouth whenever a subject he liked popped out in their conversation. And not only about books, her music taste was also as good as her artistic one was. He discovered that she had attended some of the Art Gallery exhibitions he had also been to. Enjolras wondered how come they hadn't met sooner. After the usual hour, she would say goodbye and leave to her rehearsal, and he would stay, reliving in his mind all the conversation from beginning to end.

He went home feeling unsettled, his fingers aching to paint or draw. As soon as he stepped into his apartment, a pencil was already in his hand, tracing sketches of her down into a blank page. His notebooks were filled with drawings of her, a page entirely dedicated to her eyes, and two more to her smile. Definitely her smile was his favorite thing about her. He had many drawings and sketches, but he had only painted her four times. The days he had painted her, somehow he had felt closer than he had ever been with her. Perhaps one day he would show them to her.

Enjolras found in Éponine the friend he had always been looking for. Although he still didn't know much about her, there was an easiness in their conversations that made him wish that time would slow down. He didn't know if she felt like that with him, but somehow deep inside of him, he knew she did. It was a strange yet comforting relationship. She was like fire, or maybe a spark would've been the right word. Every time she was around, there was a certain warmness blossoming in his chest that made him shiver and desire for more. Éponine was not like the rest of the girls, and that was something he knew too well. She had made him laugh, a true laugh, the kind he only reserved for whenever one of his friends did something stupid.

"I like it" she smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

His laughter died slowly until it became a low chuckle and then just a small smile "What?"

"Your smile" she stated simply, resting her elbows on the table "You should smile more often."

Éponine still made him curious, even after a month. She wore a mask, hiding away from everyone. She was good at it, Enjolras needed to admit. But he had managed to discover a part of her soul, something that had only made him want more. When they talked, he sometimes found himself too comfortable, it was natural to talk to her, to hear her laugh and gaze into her hypnotizing eyes. They felt like equals. She was a dancer and he was a painter, they both expressed in different ways what they had inside of them. She, with her body and he, with his hands and colors. They weren't so different from the other. She was a fierce creature, fighting for what she wanted and not letting what others thought about her bring her down. Enjolras was like her also, if she was fierce, then he was brave.

Éponine was a very intriguing person. He found soon realizing that he was genuinely curious about her, every time eager for more. She was kind, but still she could destroy anyone if she wanted to. His friends still didn't know about her, and in a way he wasn't really that excited to introduce her to them. It wasn't because he was ashamed of her, no, on the contrary. He was afraid that one of them would realize how extraordinary she was and soon she would see that he was not half as interesting as the rest of them were. Enjolras was a jealous man by nature, and the thought of one of his caveman friends finding Éponine interesting was a thought that made him internally groan.

"You know, you remind me of my brother" Éponine said casually one afternoon, soon before she had to go.

"You have a brother?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Yes, he's ten years old, but sometimes I really think he's way smarter than I am" she answered crinkling her nose in mock annoyance.

He lifted his gaze from the handkerchief in which he was now drawing patterns before asking "What's his name? And more importantly, why do I remind you of him?"

"His name is Gavroche" she answered with a beaming smile before leaning forward to catch a glimpse of his drawing "And you remind me of him because he always does what you are doing right now, drawing wherever he can. I tell you, give that boy a pencil and he'll draw over any surface he finds. He wants to be a painter"

Enjolras then found out that the boy had run away with her from their abusive parents and now lived with her best friend´s father. He had the urge of asking more about her past, although from the way her mood had darkened after the mention of her parents, Enjolras believed that it would be the best to let her be. Perhaps one day she would trust him enough to let him in. Her face always brightened any time she talked about her little brother, his wickedness and the air of mischievousness he always had. Enjolras was an only son, never being able to experience what if felt like to have someone by your side to do silly things, and without knowing the exact reason why, he wanted to meet this boy. Éponine assured him that they would get along quickly. Days after, Enjolras arrived to the Musain carrying a box of crayons and another of chalks and made Éponine promise to him that she would give them to the boy. Perhaps the boy would have more talent than him. Éponine refused at first, but in the end, she planted a warm kiss on his cheek and left the Café hurriedly.

It was with gestures like that one that Enjolras discovered that Éponine was indeed a spark to him, a spark that had lit parts of him that he didn't even knew existed. His drawings became more and more detailed as time went by, and by the end of the semester he had already filled two complete notebooks with sketches of the brunette and he had five paintings of her, each of them different from the others. He had grown to be the best of the class and he had caught the eye of the patron of a small Art Gallery downtown who had offered to host an exhibition of his work. His life was a rollercoaster of emotions at the moment, he had never felt more proud of his work, as if every piece of him and his life had finally fallen into place. And he knew that Éponine's presence was the main reason of that. Enjolras wasn't sure if he was going crazy, if it was normal, if he was just overreacting. The only thing he was sure about was that he had a new muse, and her name was Éponine.

* * *

Raising his mug, he drank his coffee in contentment as he finally finished the draft of the last painting that would appear in the exhibition that weekend. It wasn't very normal of him to leave things for the last minute, but he still hadn't found the inspiration for his final piece. His eyes drifted up as the door of the Musain opened, just that instead of seeing waves of black raven hair, three of his friends came stumbling inside. Grantaire insulted Marius as the photography student tried to squeeze himself between Grantaire and Bossuet trying to enter first. Enjolras raised an amused brow as the freckled guy ran to where he was standing, breathing heavily before plopping in the chair that usually Éponine occupied.

"I know I owe you a lot of favors, Enj" Marius said desperately, leaning forward on the table "But please, I'll be forever in debt to you if you say yes."

Enjolras leaned back and rolled his eyes before sending a questioning look to the other two men who had sat down "If this is about letting you use my charcoal, then no."

"Johnny B. Good here wants to take us all to a dance recital tomorrow" explained Bossuet with a grin clapping Marius' back vigorously.

"Please, Enjolras!" Marius pleaded, pressing his hands together in a pleading way "Cosette said that we could go to dinner after the show! It would be our first time out to an Italian restaurant!"

"Wait, I thought you went to dinner with her two nights ago to this Pizza Parlor" Grantaire asked confusedly scratching his chin.

"It was pizza! Not Italian food!" Marius answered exasperatedly.

They could hear Bossuet's booming laugh before he teased "I'm sorry, but last time I checked out, pizza was the picture in every _Italian food _book."

"Oh you know what I mean!" Marius whined before returning his attention to the blonde "Please, Enj, I'll do anything!"

"Why simply don't you go alone with her?" Enjolras answered with a frown.

"Because her best friend has the main role and she wants her to have a large group of admirers" Marius explained momentarily distracted before the usual dumb glow returned to his eyes "Just say yes! Jehan has already accepted because some of his classmates are in the show, but the others will only go if you go!"

Enjolras leaned back and crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow as his gaze moved to Grantaire "If you go we go" he shrugged.

The painter let out a tired sigh before asking "Where?"

The photography student moved so fast that he almost knocked the table down before he could reach Enjolras and hug him, something that made Enjolras want to punch him. He wasn't a violent man, but when Marius began with all his love nonsense, sometimes he believed that only a good punch could get his head down from the clouds. The three men left the Café in a rush, not before Marius managed to stumble and fall down, Bossuet being the one who lifted him up by the shirt and pushed him out of the place.

Minutes after his friends had left, the door opened and Éponine entered, her hair pulled up in a ponytail, her slippers in her hand. Catching her eye quickly, she smiled at him and made his heart stop in the process, something that he was now too familiar with. She walked to their usual table and sat down, placing the slippers on it.

"I'm sorry, I won't be able to stay today" she said sadly, biting her lip.

"Oh, don't worry. I was just about to leave too. I need to finish a painting" he said, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.

"I just came because I would like to know if you have something to do tomorrow?" she asked, suddenly finding interesting the ribbons of her slippers. Was she nervous?

"No- Yes, I do" he sighed, remembering that he had just agreed to go to that stupid show. He would need to remind Marius of how stupid he was later.

"Oh" she answered, her expression dropping.

"I´m sorry" Enjolras said, a knot forming in his stomach "Is just that a friend of mine asked me a stupid favor."

"That's ok, don't worry" she answered with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes "Well, I need to go, rehearsals are driving me crazy! Goodbye!"

She disappeared, leaving him behind feeling incredibly guilty and frustrated. He would punch Marius later. Letting out a heavy sigh, he brushed his hair with his hand before putting his things inside his messenger bag and walking out of the Musain.

Perhaps one day he would be able to see her dance. Without being able to get the image of her disappointed expression out from his head, he arrived to his apartment and grabbed a white canvass. That night, he didn't sleep. As his hands traced the familiar curve of her mouth with the paintbrush, Enjolras realized that he was angry with Marius, with that girl he was chasing, with the Amis, with the world, and with himself. Adding his signature in the corner of the canvass, he decided that _this one_ would be his final painting to his exhibition. He would show the world how beautiful the ballerina truly was. And perhaps she would see it too.

* * *

Enjolras was sitting uncomfortably in his seat as the curtain slowly rose up. He shouldn't be there, he should've been with Éponine to wherever she had asked him to go to. Aware of the squirming sounds the others were doing, he closed his eyes with frustration, taking a deep breath as the first chords of the violins resounded in the theatre. Somehow he was thankful that his seat was next to Cosette and by his side was the corridor. She was a very nice girl, blonde curls and bright blue eyes. Yeah, she was Marius' exact type. Closing his eyes to enjoy the feeling of the music surrounding him, he thought that perhaps he would enjoy it after all. He opened his eyes once more and appreciated the magnificent background of the stage, a combination of blue, silver and white.

He wasn't very close to the dance world, just what Éponine had told him and of course whatever little information he had once heard Jehan talking about. But then, _The Swan Lake_ was a completely different thing. He remembered that one of his first assignments had been to add emotions with watercolors to F. Gaanen's design of Act II of The Swan Lake. Also, as a young boy, his mother had made him listen to an entire collection of classics. As ballerinas walked around the stage gracefully, Enjolras leaned back and crossed his arms, resting his chin on his hand as he tried to take in every detail.

The lead ballerina who played Odette twirled elegantly as she contorted her body in magnificent ways. Enjolras realized that the production had decided to add the Prologue, so they showed the transformation of Princess Odette as a swan for the first time. Awed by the way the ballerina moved, he sat straighter and followed her every move, before she stood in the center of the stage, arms up, standing on her toes with her back to the audience.

Enjolras felt as if all air had been suck out from his lungs as the ballerina turned around on her toes, facing the audience. It was then that he realized that he was staring at Éponine. The lights from the stage brightened as two wings emerged from her back, and it was then when he finally could see her face properly. There she was, her sharp cheekbones, big eyes and full lips. Morphing her expression into one of despair, the girl ran from one side of the stage to the other, twirling and jumping so high that Enjolras was sure that she was flying. As the Overture came to an end, she collapsed down to the floor dramatically, covering her face with her wings.

"Éponine" he breathed out with surprise as the crowd burst into applause.

"You know her!" Cosette asked him excitedly turning around to see him as she continued to clap enthusiastically.

"Yes, I do" he answered quietly, his eyes never leaving the stage. The background changed, as it transformed into what he believed was the scenery of a castle, the audience growing quiet again as the performance began once more.

"She was so sad that this guy with which she hangs out a lot couldn't come, but I bet she´ll be thrilled to know that you came! How did you two meet? Isn't she amazing?" the girl managed to say without being too loud, something that surprised Enjolras.

"She's extraordinary" was all he said.

Throughout all the performance, Enjolras found himself in a state of stupor. He couldn't manage to take his eyes off of Éponine as she danced something he thought he would never be able to witness. There was a certain frailness in her way of moving that made him wonder if she was actually real. No one was able to move like that and at the same time look so delicate. But on the other hand, when she became the black swan, the fierceness and passion she showed was something that made her look like she was on fire, threatening to burn all of them. To burn him.

Enjolras was lost in her, her arms, her legs, her torso, her hands, her neck, her face. All of her, she was making him feel like if he had been lost in a dessert and she was a fountain of water. So tempting and hypnotizing. His fingers were itching to draw, to capture in paper every single detail of the ballerina. His mouth felt dry, his heart beating faster in rhythm with the music. Enjolras was in a state of mind which only few men can reach, a state of mind he had heard his teacher explain some artists had reached in their lives. A state of mind in which his soul was on fire and nothing could soothe the flames which consumed him. Éponine was a flame, a creature which burned and destroyed, but in the end, like a phoenix, something beautiful was born from the ashes.

And she had wanted him to come. That was where she had tried to invite him to. She was willing to show him a piece of her world, only a tiny part of what she was made of. The passion in her moves, the gracefulness in her leaps, her hands caressing the air. Éponine was something beautiful, something Enjolras had noticed a long time ago, something he had tried to express through his painting. But now he was sure that the world didn't needed to see his paintings to understand what he had seen. They were all seeing it now, right up there on that stage.

He was forced to blink several times as the crowd burst into cheers and applause, everyone standing to their feet as the cast made their final bow. Enjolras stood slowly, his eyes still glued to her as she smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling with what could only be described as true happiness. The curtain came down slowly, and before he could realize it, he was already standing with the rest of his friends in the Foyer of the theatre. The place was buzzing with loud voices and some cheers as some of the dancers came out to meet their families and friends. But Éponine didn't come out.

"She won't come out. She's one of those dancers who prefer spending some time alone after a performance. " Cosette said to him quietly as she took notice of his expression "If you want, you can go to the dressing rooms to see her. I bet she will be really happy to see you."

Enjolras looked at her with surprise before she just winked and pulled an excited and quite dumbfounded Marius by the arm in the direction of the exit, the Amis following behind making a fuss as they walked out and leaved Enjolras behind. After a minute of standing alone in the middle of the Foyer, Enjolras decided that perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea to go to see her and congratulate her. Perhaps she would be happy, like Cosette said she would. Running a hand through his hair he decided that he was just being absurd, the best thing he should do was just to walk away. So that's what he did, he walked towards the exit.

As soon as the fresh air hit his face, realization dawned in him. Enjolras realized that he was being a coward running away. He wanted to see her. He actually wanted to have her close and see her smile and dimples. Maybe she would be excited and think that it was a surprise, or in the worst of the cases, she would think that he indeed was a creep. Shaking his head in disbelief, he turned around and made his way inside once more, not before a boy who was selling flowers caught his eye.

The theatre was a maze, and it surprised Enjolras that he didn't ended up lost as he tried to find her dressing room. After asking directions to some of the boys who had performed, he finally managed to reach her dressing room. He stood frozen to the spot for several minutes, studying nervously the sign which read _Éponine Thenardier _in big black letters. He felt again that strong urge to turn around and escape, but again, a voice in his mind told him that he was doing the right thing. Still, a sense of uneasiness filled his body. Barely two months ago he would've barely acknowledged her existence, she would've been some other female in the world who managed to confuse and hypnotize men with pretty words and mysterious smiles. But now, he could barely recognize himself, standing in front of a closed door with a flower in his hand, nervous because of a girl. Deciding to man up, he knocked on the door, maybe a little harder than he had wanted to.

The door swung open and suddenly he had her in front of him, as close as he had wanted to have her since he had realized that she was _Princess Odette. _He stood awkwardly in the threshold, his eyes scanning her form quickly before he settled in her eyes, wide and glowing with surprise and…pleasure? Her small form was wrapped tightly in a brown robe, her feet bare and her hair down. She had a wet tissue on her cheek as she rubbed some of the insanely heavy make-up off from her face.

"Enjolras?" she said with surprise, her expression of surprise morphing into one of complete happiness "You came? But…how? I thought you had some stuff to do with your friend!"

He cleared his throat and gave her a small smile "I-I was just as surprised as you are when I realized that it was you on that stage. I guess your best friend is the one Marius is crazy about."

"Cosette asked you to come?" she asked, rubbing the tissue in her other cheek and her lips, letting the natural olive color of her skin appear once more.

"She asked Marius to invite some friends and we came" he explained before rubbing the back of his neck embarrassedly and offering her the rose "By the way, I think you are incredible. I mean-that you dance really beautiful. Congratulations."

Her eyes widened before a soft pink colored her now clean cheeks. She lifted a hand to grab the flower shyly "Thank you."

She stood in silence observing the flower with a smile. A shiver ran up his spine as she studied him, her eyes glowing with something he had never seen before. He would draw it later. Finally she looked up, her eyes connecting with his. Her smile faltered and then disappeared slowly, a curious expression in her eyes as she studied him. Feeling uncomfortable under her powerful stare, he cleared his throat and took an envelope out from his jacket.

"Look, I- uhm, forgot to give you this yesterday" he said quickly handing her the envelope "Tickets for the Art Gallery Exhibition tomorrow night at eight, there's two tickets, if you want to take Cosette with you, I mean, surely Marius already told her but I thought that-"

She grabbed his hand and smiled at him, silencing him immediately. He studied as her small hand held his own, with great gentleness, but still, the electric current that traveled from his fingertips was not gentle.

"I'll be there" she smiled softly squeezing his hand softly before letting it go.

"That'll be great" he nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching in his own smile before he managed to return to his composed expression "Goodnight."

He turned around and began walking in the direction he had come, but it wasn't after he was three doors away that he listened to her laugh. He felt his stomach turn over and let the sound wash him, making the curve of his lips turn up as he walked away. If someone would've seen him at that moment, probably they would've thought that he was crazy, smiling to himself. But Enjolras didn't care, as he made his way to his home, the smile remained in his lips.

* * *

Enjolras couldn't believe how many people had come, his friends, some of his teachers and classmates. Also, there were art lovers, who had heard of the exhibition and had come to enjoy a nice evening appreciating the paintings of a new artist who was unknown to many of them. His palms were sweaty as he saw the persons studying his paintings, talking in small groups about details and their interpretation. He was slowly making his way around the spacious room, taking in every detail of the place as he held a flute glass of champagne in his hand, provided by Grantaire who had insisted he needed a way to relax.

He actually couldn't believe that this was _his_ work, all of it. Since he had discovered the power just a pencil and paper had, he had dreamt of a night like this, people coming to appreciate and see what he was trying to express. His art embodied everything he believed in, what he hoped for and dreamed of. Life, freedom, a world that lived in equality and justice. He painted to show the world beauty in what they considered sadness and injustice.

Everyone seemed to admire his art and praise it. He had spent an entire week choosing which of his paintings would be exhibited, deciding from the beginning that every painting he had done of _her _would be there. Everyone would see the beauty in her, the mysteries in her smile, the intriguing way her caramel eyes hypnotized you, as if they had witnessed a lot of stories which now made her who she was. As he walked down a small corridor in which all the paintings he had of her were exhibited, he caught sight of a familiar figure standing at the corner.

He slowly made his way towards her, a small smile in his lips as he stood behind her. He studied her back, the way the black dress adjusted to the small curves of her body, her hair down, curling at the end. The familiar scent clouded his senses before he blinked and returned his attention to the painting in front of them. It was of her, sitting in a chair as she read, her lips pursed in concentration, her hair falling around like a curtain, isolating her from the rest of the world.

"I painted this one the day we met" he managed to whisper softly "I've always believed you create your own worlds every time you read."

She turned around slowly and smiled. He took in every detail of her appearance quickly, something he had become an expert in. Her dark brown hair framed her face, waves reaching her shoulders. Her eyes were glowing in the dim light as she tucked strands of her hair behind her ears, her lips colored with a pale pink as she flashed as smile showing her white teeth.

"You came" he breathed out without intending to.

She laughed softly, a soft sound that made his throat dry "I told you I would" She returned her attention to the painting and he did the same "Sometimes I believe you overestimate me."

He sipped his champagne before answering "What do you mean?"

She made her way towards the next painting. That one was from the time she told him about her brother. She was smiling at the floor, the kind of smile that made a knot form in his stomach, the kind of smile that made him wonder what kind of secrets she hid.

"I'm not as great as you think I am" she stated.

"I paint things as I think them not as I see them" he answered, making her turn around and give him a curious look.

"Do you really see me like this?" she asked pointing to the next painting "Powerful? Magnificent?"

It was of her surrounded by flames, as if she was controlling them, making them do whatever she wanted. He wanted to answer her, but the words simply didn't come out from his mouth. He just stared at her, studying her like she always did with him. It was in that brief moment that he was able to see more behind her enchanting smile and sparkling eyes. He saw a warrior, a fighter. He saw the girl who had been forced to become a woman too quickly. He saw the dedicated ballerina who didn't stopped until her feet bled.

"Yes"

Before he could understand what was happening, he felt the soft pressure of her lips on his. Without a warning, he felt a fire blooming slowly inside of his chest, but he couldn't make himself react. He stood motionless as she pressed her lips to his. Before he got a chance to return the kiss, the warmth had already disappeared. She pulled back, her expression unreadable.

"I shouldn't have done that" she said, her words painfully emotionless "I must go. Goodnight, and thank you for inviting me."

She then turned around, walking back towards the main hall not looking back at him. Not even one single glance. He took a step forward, his mouth open and ready call her name, but no sound was able to come out. He exhaled a ragged breath, cursing internally for not stopping her. Why hadn't he said something?

His mind was plagued with images of her as he turned and began walking towards the main exhibition again, the feeling of her soft warm lips on his still remaining, tingling his lips. She had invaded his life completely, clouding his thoughts with images of her. She was mysterious and intoxicating, her voice like silk caressing his ears, her eyes casting a spell on him. He groaned at himself and decided that it was too late to take a step back. He would go to see her when the exhibition was over and tell her everything. He wouldn't let his muse slip away, like many other things he had lost. But for now he had to fake a smile and pretend that nothing had happened. He was an expert at that.

* * *

He walked down the street hurriedly in the direction Cosette had indicated. Luckily, the girl hadn't asked much about the reasons for his interest in Éponine's apartment and decided to just tell Enjolras where the dancer lived. After what seemed hours, he arrived at the red brick building, and without thinking about it too much, he pressed the button which read _Thenardier. _He waited on the street for several minutes, his mind working quickly on what he was going to say to her. He almost jumped as the intercom came to life with a static sound.

"_Yes?" _her voice said through the speaker, and finally he was able to release the breath he was holding.

"Why did you leave?" he managed to ask her.

She was quiet after that and he waited for another moment, not sure if she was going to speak, or if she had just left him. His heart almost came out of his chest as he heard the static sound again.

"_Why didn't you kiss me back?" _she answered drily, and although he couldn't see her, he was sure that her eyes were dark and tormented.

He felt a knot form in his stomach, a cold sweat forming in his forehead. He took his glasses off and put them in his pocket before he managed to answer "I-I don't know."

This time it didn't take her long to answer as he rested his head on the cold wall, wanting nothing more but than to punch it.

"_Well, that settles it. Goodnight."_ She answered before the line was dead again.

He pressed the button once more desperately "Wait, wait, wait. Please, Éponine, just listen to me."

She didn't answer, so he decided to continue, not knowing whether if she was listening or if she was standing there. He didn't care, he just wanted to tell her.

"I didn't kissed you back because…" he took a deep breath before continuing in a much lower voice "Because I wanted to kiss you first."

The silence was almost unbearable, a car or two passing by as he waited for her to say something, anything. Suddenly, the intercom came to life.

"_Why?" _her voice came out as a whisper.

"This is the hardest thing I've ever done, Éponine" he said slowly before taking in a deep breath "I'm fighting this strong urge to run away. But I guess it's too late for that, and also I'm tired of hiding it from you."

"_Don´t go" _she asked him gently, her voice soft once more.

"I won't go." He assured her, resting a hand on the wall and closing his eyes. "I won't go because…Éponine, I have feelings for you. I care about you, I like you. More than you could ever comprehend."

Enjolras felt as if an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders the moment the words left his lips. His head snapped up at the sound of a buzz and a door unlocking. He smiled to himself and opened the door, making his way up the stairs quickly. As soon as he reached the floor of her apartment, he saw her, standing at the end of the hall, barefoot and waiting for him. She smiled, the kind of smile that had always made his knees falter a bit, the one who made him curious, just that, for some unknown reason, he thought that now, he would finally get to know those secrets.

He smiled back, walking down the hall, his eyes never leaving hers. In a blink of an eye, he was standing in front of her, a hand grazing her cheekbone as the other placed a tendril of her hair behind her ear. He leaned down slowly, taking his time to appreciate the way her eyes fluttered closed and she breathed heavily, her full lips parted, waiting for his kiss. He closed the distance completely and covered her mouth with his.

Electricity ran through him, shaking down his spine, and the flame he had felt earlier in the Gallery was quickly growing. Letting his instincts take over, he pulled her closer to him, eager to feel every curve. She gasped with surprise as he deepened the kiss, her fingers tangling in his hair and bringing him closer to her. The hand resting on her neck felt her pulse increasing as he tilted his head and kissed her once more with fervor, trying to express through that kiss every single thing he had inside, pouring his soul into hers. His fingers only itched like this whenever he needed to paint, but at that moment, his hands were painting on her.

* * *

He rolled his hips to align with hers, his hands grasping onto her hips to hold her still and pulled her closer to him. He reached to her, looking at her in awe. It was as if he was looking at one of the most beautiful pieces of art, still, beautiful and breath-taking. He brushed her lips with his fingertips, soft, full, rosy and swollen with his kiss. Her eyes closed as her chest rose and fell with each breath she took, proof that she wasn't a painting and she was alive. His hands traveled down her neck, her shoulder, tracing in her skin patterns as he explored her body. His hands traveled down the contours of her breasts, down to her waist.

She breathed deeply, leaning into his touch as he moved against her. His eyes were on hers, those eyes which had hypnotized him and promised him countless secrets. Not even the most beautiful painting in the worlds was as beautiful as she was at that exact moment, hair sprawled around, eyelids heavy, chest rising and falling. She was beautiful. She was his muse. She was _his. _

He moved ever so slowly, trying to commit into memory every single detail. Details that later he would capture into paper, to paint her as she bared her soul to him. "_Kiss me._" He moved slowly, pressing his lips onto hers softly, sliding down to her neck tentatively, and shivering at the feel of her under. She held him as if it were the only thing she had ever felt in her life. His name left her lips, like a caress to his ears.

He held her tighter, their bodies creating a kind of art he had never experienced before. He rolled his hips against hers as she buried her face into his neck before it fell back into the pillow, her eyes scrunched tight, arms wrapped around his back tightly. Beautiful. She was so beautiful. He watched her face lax, her eyes looking for his, a final groan escaping his lips, before he collapsed on top of her. She ran her fingers through his hair as he placed a kiss on her cheek, his arms locked around her tightly. He never wanted to let her go. She was his, Éponine Thenardier, was his.

* * *

Enjolras had always loved the sunrise. He thought it was the most beautiful part of the day. He remembered his favorite mornings very clearly, some of them of when he still lived with his parents, others in the company of his friends. But as he glanced at Éponine, still asleep next to him, he thought that perhaps _this_ would be his new favorite memory. And also his new definition of beautiful.

As the sun still drifted through the window, her skin glowed. Her body was warm, pressed to his side as he outlined the contours of her body. Her face was peaceful, the ghost of a smile playing on her lips. It was better than any painting he had ever done before. Standing up carefully, he found a pencil and a paper and began sketching her.

Her hair was sprawled on the pillow around her shoulders, her skin looking warm and inviting to him to touch it. Some strands fell across her face, framing the curve of her neck beautifully. He studied her and captured her in paper. One of her long toned legs was exposed, a reminder of how she was able to fly while she danced. Her eyes opened slowly, hazy and unfocused. He let a smile appear in his lips at her confused expression. Straightening, she caught sight of him, her own lips curving in a warm smile. Soon her hand was stretching forward, asking him to return. He smiled, and laying down the paper, returned to the bed with her. Pulling her closer to him, he let her warmth surround him once more, her touch inviting him as her lips ghosted over his.

He would have plenty of time to draw her later. Now he just wanted to draw on her body.


	7. Unspoken Words

**_Title_**: _Unspoken Words  
_

_**Summary**_: _Éponine Thenardier felt curious about the quiet man sitting at the corner of the Cafe. But what she hadn't expected was that this beautiful man was special, not like the rest of them all. Soon, she began feeling attracted to him, wishing nothing more than to hear him say what she wanted. But there was something that didn't let him do it. He was deaf.  
_

_**Note: **__Okay, so this story is particularly special for me. I had this idea in my head for far too long and finally decided to write it down. I put my heart and soul in it, I feel really close to it. Please forgive me if anyone feels insulted by it, I tried to remain as believable as I could. This story will also have one more chapter which I'll begin writing immediately. Hope you'll like it as much as I did, I really worked hard to get this as perfect as I wanted it to be. Special thanks to my extraordinary beta-reader Judybear236, she's amazing! And also I always think her ideas are terrific! On a side-note, I'm working in my school with a play, a kind of musical, yet no entirely a musical. So I'm writing the script, and it's really taking me almost my whole time. I'm eager to finish the second chapter, but first I need to finish the play. So pray to the literary gods that I can do both really fast! Now, enough of my responsibilities. As always, I encourage you to leave a comment with your thoughts and opinions so I can know what you would like to happen or what you liked, to know that there's someone out there reading to what I write is the best feeling in the entire world. So now, enjoy.  
_

* * *

Since she was a little girl, Éponine had always wanted to grow up and become a teacher. But as time went by, she realized that she was good at other things, such as reading people and figuring them out rather quickly for someone as young as her. She was good at listening and giving advice, she always offered her help or a shoulder to cry on. She wanted to help people, to understand them. She wanted to be what she herself didn't have. She wanted someone to be there and tell her that everything was going to be alright. Éponine decided that she wanted to be a psychologist. It was barely her first year at college and she had already learned things that she never thought could be possible, every day meant new information and that just increased Éponine's desire and hunger to learn more. Probably the best day of her life was when she was told that she could get a degree in special education after finishing her career. She couldn't believe that in the end she would be able to dedicate herself to helping others.

Her college experience was proving to be everything she had always expected. That included all her crazy friends. Marius had introduced her to his group of friends, which with time became the best thing that could've happened to her. They were stupid and crazy, but they were all like big brothers to her, protecting and helping her with anything she needed. The first time she met them, Courfeyrac, a law student self-proclaimed ladies' man, had pulled her by the arm and forced her to sit between him and Combeferre, a philosophy student who looked far too calm to be friends with them. Jehan was there too, Linguistics student and helpless romantic, sitting by Joly's side, a future doctor. Although Éponine believed that it was highly amusing because he was the king of the hypochondriacs. And in the corner, was Enjolras.

Not many people realized the first time they saw him that Enjolras was not normal, in a certain way. They would be too distracted with his chiseled jaw, piercing blue eyes, messy gold curls that fell freely around his face, his lips pursed in concentration, the bottom lip slightly fuller than the other. If he hadn't blinked, she would've thought that he was a marble statue. Immobile and breathtaking. He was one of the most beautiful men Éponine had ever seen before. But as Marius introduced Éponine to all of them, her jaw fell slightly when he lifted his eyes from the book he was reading, a small smile in his lips, the statue coming to life. But then, he did something with his hands that took her by surprise. He did sign language.

He was deaf.

When Enjolras was born, doctors diagnosed him with profound deafness, irremediable. As a little boy, he had been forced to learn, at a rather impressive speed, sign language. He also could read lips, but not talk. All the Amis had learned sign language to communicate with him, although Grantaire assured her that he had only done it because it was super cool, like a secret code. Feeling a little surprised, Éponine just nodded to the man, who nodded back and returned his attention to the book in his hands.

Éponine never talked to Enjolras, only when it was necessary, and still they would need to use a pen and paper to communicate. Of course what they would say wasn't important or was vital information, but still, she felt content with the little conversations they would share. The first time they had an actual conversation, he had been the one to start it. She wasn't sure if it was because he felt bored or because he was genuinely curious, but as she read the paper, a smile appeared in her lips.

_Éponine et Sabinus?_

She stole a glance to him, his eyes glowing with what she believed was amusement. She smiled and grabbed the pen he was offering.

_What can I say? My mom is a devoted romantic._

He would've understood her if she talked, after all, he could read lips. But there was something about the fact that he would be looking to her lips instead of her eyes that made her feel extremely uncomfortable. So she decided that writing down what she wanted to say would be a better option. There was a mysterious air in the man, whether it was the way his lips were always pursed in concentration, or his constant frown. She couldn´t tell, but still, the curious part of her wanted to know more. So she didn't hesitate to ask for his help when she was told in class that they needed to learn sign language for the next semester.

That afternoon, Éponine came into the Café slowly and dragging her feet. The thought of asking Enjolras for help was just an excuse to get to know him, perhaps it wasn't the best idea, but still it was her only option. She sat next to Enjolras carefully, her eyes studying him as he wrote down something in his notebook. Sensing her stare and her presence, he lifted his eyes to meet her, hair tangled and her cheeks flushed. He chuckled, an amused glint in his eye.

"Guess what. We are going to study educational methods for special abilities." She began, her eyes darting from her hands to the table. She knew that he was paying attention to her, his eyes on her lips as she spoke. Writing down what she needed wasn't the best option, probably her hand was shaking anyways. "That means that Professor Lucille wants us to learn sign language…so I-I was wondering if you could you help me? You know, because you are a pro and all." She finished with a shaky laugh.

He chuckled and turned around to write down his answer. "_Yeah, why not. I'm the only deaf one here, so it'll be great."_

Her face fell, a dark pink coloring her cheeks "That's not why I asked you, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way I just thought-"

Enjolras lifted his hands to make her stop, a warm smile in his lips before scribbling furiously down. "_I know, I was just teasing you. Of course I will help you."_

She raised an eyebrow before slapping his shoulder playfully and giggling "You dork. I won't say thank you because you don't deserve it. See you later!"

They began seeing each other every afternoon after their lectures. He lived with Marius, and as the freckled guy was absent during their "lessons", they decided that his place would probably suit them most. In between their lessons, they got to know each other, a combination of signs, words and papers. Éponine discovered that Enjolras was not a normal guy, in the good way of course. He studied Law, and although he knew that he would never be in a court room, he still wanted to be a part of that world, to make a change. So when his dad had offered him the opportunity of being a part of his company, he had taken the chance. Éponine had learned only the basic signs, being hard trying to learn more than 5,000 signs in less than a month. But still, Enjolras was patient with her. He would always write down what he wanted to say to her, and she would answer out loud as he read her lips.

Sometimes, when they were all alone, Éponine felt like if Enjolras was letting her see a part of him that not many people were able to see. To everyone, Enjolras was the attractive Law-student which had just happened to be deaf. Many of them felt pity toward him, and that was the main reason why Enjolras tried to avoid big groups or reunions. She often discovered things about him that made her eager for more, like that his favorite book was _War And Peace, _by Leo Tolstoy. He also liked his pizza with extra pepperoni, he was an early riser, he hated raisins and that his guilty pleasure was Modern Family and peanut butter.

Enjolras wasn't what she was expecting. Underneath the cold exterior and stern looks, he was a nice guy. He was the kind of guy that would've done anything for the persons he cared about. In another life, he would've been a great leader, moving masses and encouraging everyone to make a change. But for that, he needed a voice, something he didn't have. Still, he owned a powerful air that still made everyone do as he asked, he was serious and stern, not taking anything easily or for granted. He was a natural revolutionary caged inside a room of silence. As the days went by, Éponine found herself developing a certain kind of admiration for him. He had been able to overcome his disability, he had entered one of the most prestigious universities in all the country, and he was at the top of the class and had an incredible group of friends who cared a lot for him.

"You should be like this with everyone else" she said, turning around to grab more study cards Enjolras had made for her.

She jumped when she felt one of his fingers under her chin, coaxing her to turn around and face him. She let him, her mouth slightly ajar with surprise. His eyes were glowing, the clearest blue she had ever seen. Letting go of her chin, she felt slightly disappointed at the loss, but managed to hide it as she raised a brow.

"_Look at me when you talk" _he signaled, that serious air that always surrounded him whenever he was giving her instructions, but then the corners of his mouth turned up in a smirk. "_Otherwise, I cannot see your lips."_

"_Sorry" _she signaled back, embarrassment in her face _"It's just that sometimes I forget."_

"_So do I" _he answered with a shrug _"And I think it's better that way. I like to forget about it sometimes too. But also I like knowing what you say."_

There was a certain connection between them that neither of them could understand. It was as if they had been friends for a very long time, their relationship was like that: natural. When the group hung out in the Musain, they'd still interact with the rest of them as if the things they shared inside his apartment had never happened. He would be quiet, every once in a while asking one of them what they were talking about, she would be laughing at whatever Grantaire was saying. And he would watching her laugh, not being able to hear the sound, wishing nothing more but to hear it, even if it was just one time.

Éponine began noticing how she unconsciously would be drawn to him, how she always wanted to know what he was thinking, how a smile would appear in her lips when he wanted to talk to her. There was also her secret desire to hear his voice. What would it sound like? Would it be like she thought it would? She was just being foolish, he had never talked before, and by what Combeferre had told her, he only knew how to say the name of his parents, yes or no. But he hated talking, the feeling of saying something and not being able to know how it sounds. So that's why he didn't talk.

He would chuckle or laugh at some times, a husky and low sound that made a shiver run across her spine whenever it happened. She didn't care that he was making fun of her, she still enjoyed the sound, being the most adorable sound she had ever heard before. Sometimes he would stare at her while she laughed, a curious expression in his face, like if he was trying to understand something.

"_What?" _she signed, her laugh fading into a soft giggle.

"_Your laugh" _he stated simply, his eyes still sparkling with something she couldn't identify _"I like when your laugh. You have a nice smile. I was trying to imagine how it sounds."_

But despite the current wave of feelings that Enjolras was provoking inside of her, a tiny part of her heart was still in love with Marius. So it wasn't a surprise when he arrived one evening to the Musain with Cosette in his arm. Éponine wasn't sure what had hurt the most: that she had been too blind to see it coming or that her own roommate had kept it from her. Of course she didn't stay mad at Cosette very long, after all, the blonde had been her friend since before Marius had appeared, and she hadn't the fault of anything. It was then when her struggle to get over him began, slowly and painfully, every single feeling and hope she had of Marius, began fading away, leaving behind just a friendship.

The guys had noticed of course, they were always protecting her after all. But she didn't want their looks of pity or comfort words. She didn't need them, she was strong and very capable of taking care of herself. They understood that after a while, so when Marius announced that they were officially a couple, no one spared a glance of pity to Éponine. Instead, they decided to order another round of drinks for everyone, although she knew what they were trying to do, she had discovered it when Jehan had put a cup of her favorite drink in front of her discretely, a sheepish smile in his lips. She took it and smiled back, they would never stop taking care of her.

Enjolras had noticed too. Probably he had been the first one to notice the infatuation she had with Marius, but hadn't said anything to anyone. And it wasn't because he felt bad for Éponine. On the contrary, he was afraid of the moment when she'd realize that Marius would never return her affections. Still, he hadn't shown a sign of pity nor of feeling sorry for her, his only way of asking if she was all right was when the next afternoon, when she arrived at his apartment, he had a box of her favorite cookies for her. And she understood.

She began spending more time with him. Now, instead of just practicing the sign language, she also stayed with him as they studied together. Although their classes and lectures were the complete opposite, still they would be content with the company of the other. Also, it helped her being away from Marius and Cosette's love nest, for it seemed that her apartment was practically now Marius' too. And Éponine couldn't bear it. While she spent her afternoons with Enjolras, Marius and Cosette had practically now chosen her apartment as their secret love place. Éponine had walked in countless times just to find them attached to the other, and by the third time, they didn't even bother to acknowledge her. Éponine was slowly growing tired, and she knew it was only a matter of time until she exploded.

It was one night during finals. It was Friday and they had been studying all day long. Although Enjolras hadn't said anything, she knew that he was aware that it was growing late and Marius still didn't show up. That could only mean that he was too busy with homework, or that's what Éponine wanted to believe, although she was completely sure that he was rather busy with _someone. _It was barely past midnight, the empty boxes from Chinese food on the counter as they sat on the couch watching one of the Rocky movies with subtitles. Her head was jerking as she fell awake each time, blinking furiously and trying to fight against the fatigue.

She felt his hand move slowly and brush hers softly. She sat up straighter instantly, turning around to stare at him with an anxious look. His eyes met hers and locked, a lump forming in her throat as she recognized the glint in his eye, the one she had been trying to avoid.

"_It's really late. Why don't you stay over?" _he signaled, a slight frown forming in his expression.

Under normal circumstances, she would've said no. But she felt too tired of putting on her tough façade to everyone, always smiles or witty answers. That night, for the first time in years, she cried. It came slowly, as rain does. First a few drops, which then morphed into a storm, and despite her vain attempts of trying to stop it, the tears continue to fall down. She turned to her side, brushing her cheeks with the back of her hand before moving to face him again, her eyes on her lap.

"_Yes, I really should stay" _she signed, an empty smile in her lips as she stood up _"I'm really tired and my place is far, you're right I should stay."_

Enjolras stood up too, a concerned expression in his face while he observed tears streaming down her face as she moved her face from one side to the other, trying to avoid his eyes, her gaze traveling all around the apartment as she brushed her hair with one hand.

"_You can sleep in my bed"_ he signaled quickly as her eyes finally fell on him "_I'll crash on the couch."_

"_No, I won't be kicking you out of your own bed. I'll sleep in the couch" _she shook her head before grabbing the empty glasses and walking into the kitchen quickly.

He followed her into the kitchen, his frown deepening as she thoroughly washed the glasses they had used. Enjolras moved slowly until he was by her side, leaning back into the sink and watched her splash water. Although tears kept falling, Éponine tried to remain calm, her breathing heavy as soap covered her shaky hands. At some point, he turned off the faucet and grabbed her hands, drying them with the towel. Her eyes stared at the floor intently, a sob threatening to escape her lips. With a finger, he lifted her chin so now she was looking straight at him, and it was then that she realized that the expression of pity that had been there before was gone now. Instead, he was now looking at her with concern.

"_You know you can always trust me" _he signed, an honest expression in his face "_What's wrong?"_

She closed her eyes taking a deep breath, somehow glad that finally the tears had stopped for now. Opening them, she decided that she was being too weak. And she wasn't weak, much less in front of someone else.

She shrugged _"Nothing."_

His jaw tensed visibly, his eyes narrowing _"Éponine."_

"_It's silly, Enjolras. Just let it be." _She signed before walking away, her expression hardening.

She was aware of the soft footsteps following her, but it wasn't until she reached the living room again that he stopped her, a hand on her wrist, turning her to face him.

"_I know you. And I know what's going on inside of you" _he signed, a firm expression in his face "_You don't have to be strong always, Ép, even the strongest need a rest too."_

"_Just leave it, it's stupid" _she stated, her face downcast.

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it, forcing her to look up. Letting go of her hand, he signed _"Nothing that ever makes you cry will be stupid."_

Her bottom lip trembled before she averted her gaze to somewhere else.

"_I just…I'm tired of feeling this way. Of believing that I had finally moved on and then, things like this happen, and the wound opens once more, just when I thought it was completely healed" _her hands were moving furiously, the tears coming down once more.

"And it's just so childish!" she cried out, tired of moving her hands "All of this is ridiculous! I know that they are in my apartment together, doing God knows what, and what it hurts is to know that I have to walk in tomorrow and pretend that nothing happened! Ignoring their quiet giggles and silly smiles! It just makes me realize that I will never have what they have! I'm not what guys are looking for! I'm the complete opposite to what Cosette is, I'm dull, tiny and broken!"

Without realizing it, she was moving her head frantically, so Enjolras got a hold of her shoulders, trying his best to stop her from moving so he could read her lips. She realized it and stopped moving, her wide eyes glassy as she stared at him.

"And now I'm just bothering you with all this stupid stuff which is really ridiculous and you are probably thinking that I'm pathetic" she gave in to what she was feeling as she cried "And I'm sorry for that, I know how hard this must be for you. But I'm just so tired of giving it so much importance! I know Marius will never see me that way, and I don't care anymore, but apparently something inside my head doesn't understand it! And I'm sorry, I know this is ridiculous, it's not worth it. I'm sorry…"

He finally pulled her close to his chest, one of his hands flying instantly to her head and caressing her hair softly as she cried against his chest, one of her hands fisting his shirt desperately trying to regain control. They stood like that for a long time, her head buried in his neck as he held her close, his arms circling her form and trapping her in his comforting embrace. Éponine never believed that the marble-man would be able to make her feel like this, to comfort her, to make her open up and reveal her vulnerable side.

Enjolras led her to his room, his arm around her waist as she sobbed quietly. Not having the strength to argue with him, she let him pull back the sheets of the bed. She slipped into the mattress and watched him tuck the sheets around her. She studied him through blurry eyes, her breathing finally returning to a normal pace. He sat down on the bed, separating himself slightly so he could lift his hands and sign.

"_Never say again that you are dull or broken. You are the most incredible, extraordinary and beautiful girl I've ever met. Don't apologize for feeling what you feel. You have all the right to stop being strong at least once" _his eyes were looking for hers, his eyes warm "_Look, you are the strongest person out of all of us, you are moving on, and I swear that one day there'll come someone who will love you as much as you deserve."_

Her eyes were wide, a lump forming in her throat as his hand grazed one of her cheekbones before placing a tendril of her hair behind her ear.

"_And I'll always be glad to help whenever you need me" _his eyes were pleading as she slowly felt her body go numb from exhaustion "_You are perfect. And Marius doesn't deserve you."_

She laughed quietly, and he smiled back, happy that he was finally able to make her smile. Pulling her hand out of the sheets, she grabbed his hand, holding it in hers. She felt him tense, surprised to realize that he still felt uncomfortable despite the fact that he had been the one to hold her tightly. Almost immediately, he relaxed and squeezed her hand. She closed her eyes, burying her head deeper into the pillow as the warmth from his body comforted her. He stayed until she finally fell asleep_,_ and for the first time in all his life, Enjolras felt that finally someone needed him.

* * *

It wasn't long until Marius and Cosette decided to move in together, and immediately Éponine had suggested the idea of moving herself with Enjolras. The student accepted rather quickly, something that surprised the Amis, but none of them dared to say anything. A week later, Éponine was already settled in her new room. Enjolras had helped her by carrying boxes of books and clothes, a smile on his face as apparently Éponine's excitement was really contagious. Éponine quickly transformed Marius' old room into her own sanctuary, posters of some famous quotes she liked plastered on the wall, books scattered everywhere in neat piles that didn't managed to fall down, a dream-catcher Jehan had given her hanging up her bedpost and some pictures of her with the Amis on her nightstand and desk.

Éponine thought that she had never felt more at home. And probably, the fact that she was living with Enjolras was the main reason. They fell into a comfortable routine, something that surprised her. He would always be up before her, a mug of coffee ready for her at the table. Sometimes she would wake up first and surprise him with some pancakes or freshly-baked cookies which he always enjoyed. She learned that he loved when she put chocolate-chips in the pancakes, so she began adding them just to see him smile, a childish expression in his face as he ate. They would stay until late studying, he would help her with whatever he could and sometimes she had to take the book from his hands and force him to sleep some.

He also discovered her fondness of falling asleep in the couch while she read, and she would always wake up with a pillow beneath her head and a blanket tucked over her. Éponine found herself enjoying the morning Enjolras, his eyes would be scrunched as he adjusted them to the light, his hair messy which he only worsened by tangling his fingers in it. But definitely the most awkward thing that had ever happened to her was when he opened the door of the bathroom and she was still inside, luckily already dressed after a long shower. The tip of his ears turned a fierce red color, his cheeks almost matching them. Trying to hide her embarrassment, Éponine laughed and pushed him out of the bathroom, letting out a sigh as he disappeared inside his room. The next day, she hung a cardboard sign which read _"Empty"_ on one side and _"Occupied" _on the other.

They began slowly growing more close to one another, soon discovering things about the other that nobody else knew. If the Amis noticed it, they didn't say anything, after all, not one of them would dare to tick off Enjolras. Better said, Éponine. Marius and Cosette continued to spend some time at the Musain too, but after hours of sharing their annoying giggles and kisses, one of the Amis would get tired (Mostly Grantaire or Bossuet) and would make them go to their own apartment. Éponine would mostly ignore it, but not even the fact that the man she used to love was holding someone else could make her stop laughing at Grantaire's outbursts. Enjolras would mostly chuckle and steal a glance to the brunette, a knowing gleam in their eyes.

After their morning lectures, they would stay in the Musain, eat something and do some homework, but they both preferred their apartment. They would walk home in usual silence, walking close together but not touching, often signing something to the other. Yes, Éponine's life was going great, she could've never asked for something better, she was living with one of her best friends and was studying something she loved. Enjolras had become an important part of her life, she couldn't imagine living with someone else or sharing an apartment with a stranger. Sometimes she would feel so comfortable with him that she wondered if perhaps the way she was feeling was the right thing. She was afraid of falling in love again with someone who wouldn't return her affections.

It was a month later that she realized that it was already too late to stop her feelings. As he entered their place with loads of bags from the market place, she ran to help him and put them on the kitchen table. As she began putting away the milk and yogurt, she gasped with surprise as she realized that he was holding a large box of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. They were their favorite, and she would always have two or three packages of the sweets in their cupboard. She turned to give him an excited look as her mouth hung open in surprise, the box of sweets pressed tightly against her chest.

"_They were on special offer" _he signed with a chuckle _"I know how much you like them."_

It may be stupid, but that's how she realized that she was deeply in love with him. She didn't want it, but it had just happened. That night they stayed up until late watching some Modern Family episodes, eating the chocolates and enjoying the company of the other. As she rested later in her bed, the low sound of his laugh echoed in her head and she bit her lip and swallowed the sob that threatened to escape, because she had never wanted someone to love her as much as she wants him to love her. God, she didn't even want to be in love with him, but now it was already too late for that.

Despite her growing feelings for him and her desire to confess it, Éponine remained silent and tried to move on. She knew Enjolras, and he was the kind of guy who tried to avoid relationships or any kind of distractions. He would never see her the way she wanted him to. But it was hard for her, sometimes when he was sitting on his desk, she got the urge to hug him from behind and bury her face in his neck. When he laughed, she wanted to make him keep laughing, because she was sure that that small sound is the most beautiful sound she had ever heard. Sometimes she wanted him to say her name, although she knew that it would be impossible, he hated to talk. Sometimes when he washed the dishes and she was drying them, she wanted to stand on her tiptoes and press a kiss to his cheek. She was going crazy, but not even in a million years would she reveal what she had inside. She wasn't willing to ruin a friendship with her silly feelings. She would be able to stop loving him some day, but for now, she was glad with being with him. Even when he didn't love her.

As they made their way to their apartment from the Musain, the fresh air hit her face and she closed her eyes enjoying the subtle breeze brushing her hair. The road where they were was empty, most of the students of the university already in some bar or somewhere else. It was a Friday, a day before Courfeyrac's birthday party, which was supposed to be the party of the year according to him. Enjolras had suggested on going to their place the moment the Musain began filling with college students, and she had gladly accepted. As they continue to walk in silence, she studied the buildings, some small corporations or restaurants. They were passing by the entrance of an alley when she heard it.

It was barely a whisper, a familiar voice calling for her. She stopped and turned around to face the alley. Then she heard it again, a low voice slurring her name. She took a step forward, but Enjolras stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. She turned to face him, a confused expression in his face. She shook her head and shrugged, and then she felt something familiar. The way the hairs in the back of her neck stood, a chill running down her spine. She met Enjolras' gaze, who was looking over her shoulder with a frown. Almost fearful of turning around, she moved slowly. From the shadows emerged a man, his face hidden by the darkness of the alley, his neck appearing first and then his jaw, covered by scruff, lips curved in a malicious smirk and finally his eyes. Cold and threatening.

As Montparnasse walked slowly until he stood a few feet away from the pair, Éponine felt her stomach clench, the familiar smell of tobacco and dirt overwhelming her. She took a step back almost involuntarily, her back hitting Enjolras' chest. A part of her mind screamed to her to grab Enjolras' hand and run away. Montparnasse always meant trouble, and although the last time she had seen him had been a week before she left for college, she could still remember the countless times he had marred her body with bruises. She wanted to escape, but her feet were rooted to the spot, the only thing keeping her calm was the feeling of Enjolras' hand in the small of her back.

"Éponine" he greeted with a sly smile "Long time no see. I didn't know I would have the pleasure to see you again."

"Of course you knew I'd be here" she spat lifting her chin defiantly "And if you are here it only means that you want something."

"You know me so well, 'Ponine" he said with a cold laugh "I need cash. Your old man sent me to see if you had something to give us. With all this new life you have probably you already have some extra money hidden in you place."

"I don't have anything for you" she hissed, pushing Enjolras behind her once more before he would be able to stand in front of her protectively. She heard him growl quietly but she paid no mind to it, focusing her attention on Montparnasse "And even if I had, I would never give it to you."

"Your old man will be really angry if I return empty handed" he sneered with malice "And you don't want him to find out where you live now, do you?"

"Go away, 'Parnasse" she growled. She felt Enjolras' trying to tug her back behind him, but she yanked out of his grip and stepped closer to the man in front of her. "I don't have anything for that drunk or you."

"Come on, love, I know you _do _have something for us" he slurred, inching closer and grabbing her by the wrist. "I'm sure your new _boyfriend_ will be glad to give some money to us. Or would you give us a share of what he pays to you to tangle in his sheets?"

"Shut up!" she said, her voice low and dangerous.

She couldn't see Enjolras, who was standing behind her, but she could feel his growing anger. Combeferre had once mentioned that Enjolras was a calm man, but when he was provoked, nothing could stop his fury. He was capable of being terrible. He wouldn't let any of his friends get hurt, he was silent, but the anger bubbling inside of him made him capable of destroying anyone. And she knew that he understood everything of what Montparnasse was saying.

"Come on, how much does he pay for your…favors?"

Before Éponine could react, Enjolras had grabbed the back of her shirt and yanked her back, throwing her body behind him. She stared wide-eyed as he moved forward with threatening grace. He saw Montparnasse raise his fist, but Enjolras was quicker and pushed him back with a great amount of force, sending him back a few meters.

"You stupid little rich boy" he snarled as he stood up "That whore isn't worth nothing!"

The man moved forward and tried to catch Enjolras' by the neck of his shirt, but he ducked down and instead sent a punch straight to his jaw. Montparnasse cried in surprise before a savage look appeared in his eyes. Éponine moved rapidly, moving to stand in front of Enjolras and pushing him back, turning to stare straight at Montparnasse, who moved forward and grabbed her wrist, twisting it painfully. She cried out in pain and Enjolras moved once again, punching the man in his stomach. Éponine stepped back with fear as she watched Montparnasse punch Enjolras back in his ribs, pushing him away.

"You think she's worth something?" Montparnasse shouted with an animalistic rage in his voice "She's nothing! You are willing to get killed for her? Answer me!"

Something inside Éponine snapped, and with a new found strength, she pushed Enjolras behind her and moved to stand once more in front of Montparnasse. With all the force she could, she slapped him. The noise of her palm against his cheek echoed around them, making the man waver on his feet. The terrible anger inside of her chest exploded and at that moment, she wasn't afraid, taking a step forward, he pushed him hard on his chest. His eyes were burning with hate, but before he could say something else, she pushed him once more.

"He's deaf, you bastard!" she yelled furiously, shoving him even further away, her eyes burning with a terrible glint "So fuck off and leave us alone!"

Montparnasse flinched visibly, his eyes widening ever so slightly, his gaze traveling to look over her shoulder. The silence was almost unbearable, her heavy breathing being the only thing that reminded her of what she had just done. She knew Montparnasse was a thug, thief, sometimes merciless and dangerous. But deep within him, she knew that he still had some decency left. His features twitched for a second before he began stepping back, his eyes traveling once more to her. Everything was silent as he recoiled back into the darkness of the alley, and it wasn't until he had disappeared completely that she let out the breath she hadn't noticed she was holding. Her shoulders slumped a little and she closed her eyes.

She jumped slightly when she felt Enjolras' hand on her shoulder. She moved her head without fully turning around. He was close to her, closer than she had imagined. She stole a glance to his face, his jaw tense and his eyes still burning with the ferocious glint she had witnessed.

"_What did you say to him?" _he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

She let out a sigh, dropping her gaze to the ground and turning around slowly. He grabbed her by the shoulders and motioned her to look up.

"_What did you say, Éponine?" _he repeated, this time his lips settled in a firm line, his nostrils flaring.

She studied him intently, her hands beggining to shake visibly. She regretted what she had done. Of all the things Enjolras hated, being pitied was at the top of the list. That was one of the things with which she could identify herself with him. But at that moment, she hadn't thought about it, her only worry had been to keep him and herself safe. So as she raised her hands to sign, she prayed that he would forgive her.

"_I…I told him that…"_ She trailed off, her gaze dropping to the floor once more as her bottom lip trembled. He put a hand on her forearm and dipped his head slightly to catch her eyes, urging her to go on. She took a deep breath and finished."_I told him that you were deaf."_

His features darkened visibly, a sea of emotions swirling in his eyes and changing several times. His jaw tightened, clenching it in an attempt to keep himself calm. His blue eyes narrowed, studying her intently before dropping to the floor. Suddenly, he let go of her arm as if she was burning him. She opened her mouth as if to say something and took a step forward, but he raised a hand and took a step further away from her. He then looked up, his dark eyes troubled. Slowly, he shook his head and turned around, leaving her behind. It was worse than she had believed it would be, but she wasn't going to let go without a fight, so she ran after him.

* * *

Éponine sat on the couch, her eyes following him as he paced around the room, his breathing hard as his mouth opened trying to take in some air too, his hands running through his hair in frustration. She had never seen him like that: he seemed like a caged lion, furious and powerless at the same time. He had burst the door opened and walked inside, Éponine had followed him closely, trying to make him look at her. His cold eyes were on hers briefly, and it was at that moment he managed to sign with shaky hands that he wasn't angry at her. She stepped back confused, but somehow relieved that his anger was not directed at her.

She observed him as he continued to pace, looking like if with each step his anger just grew even more. Suddenly he stopped and rested his back on the wall. He closed his eyes and breathed heavily, his hands flying again to his curls and running his fingers through them. Éponine jumped when he let out a terrible roar, charged with the most terrible fury she had ever heard before. His chest fell and rose with each breath he took.

"_Sometimes, I think it would be the best if I would just disappear, you know? I just hate the fact that I cannot even stand up for myself and all because I can't hear! It's infuriating! To know that they are saying something, but you don't understand it! And they treat you differently! They look at you with pity, because you are the poor deaf boy who needs help!"_

Éponine felt her heart constrict painfully inside her chest several times before she managed to stand up. She approached him carefully, studying him as he fought an inner battle with himself, his fists clenched and knuckles white from the pressure. Without a warning, his eyes snapped open and a growl left his lips before his fist connected with the door of the kitchen -hard- several times, the skin of his knuckles turning red faster and faster. She ran until she reached him and pulled him away from the door by the shoulder. He turned around to see her, his eyes fierce and wild. He shook his shoulder surprisingly gently to let go of her grasp, his bruised hands lifting to sign.

"_I hate myself, I hate being like this. I know it's wrong, but sometimes I can't help to feel this way. So weak and powerless! I should've been the one to defend you from him! Not you! I can't even protect the ones I care about! I could've just said to him to fuck off, like normal people do…but I couldn't! Because I didn't know what he was saying! And you had to fight him!"_

Without knowing exactly what she was doing, she grabbed his shaking hand in hers, careful to not touch the bruised skin. He stopped his frantic movements and looked down to her, his eyes stormy and glassy with unshed tears. She walked to the couch and sat down, pulling him down with her. He held her hands tightly, as if afraid of letting go. But suddenly, he broke.

A heart-breaking sob escaped his lips, which then turned into frantic cries as he let all his frustration and impotence out. She placed a hand on his head and motioned him to rest on her shoulder. She bit down hard, sensing the metallic taste of blood at her lip and trying not to cry. His hand circled her waist tightly, his head resting against her shoulder as he sobbed uncontrollably his fears. Silent tears fell down her cheeks as her hand caressed his hair tenderly, trying to calm him and make him feel comforted. He had held her like this many months ago, scaring her pain and fears away. But now it was her turn to hold him. So she did.

"_Sometimes…I think I'm not strong enough to go on."_

As soon as his hands were down once more, she held him even tighter. His sobs slowly faded away, but he kept the grip on her waist and hand. It was then when she took the chance to speak to him. Removing her hands from him, she slowly raised them, surprised when he slipped down, his head resting on her lap. His eyes connected with hers, a current of electricity running through her body at the sight of despair and frustration in them. Trying to hide her own pain, she stroked his hair softly before signing.

"_What happened today is not your fault, nor what happens tomorrow. Montparnasse is an idiot." _She stated, a soft expression in her face, yet a serious glint in her eyes.

Enjolras looked at her quizzically, his hands moving so he could sign "_Mountain?_"

She smiled slightly and shook her head before spelling out his name, letter by letter. When Enjolras nodded in understanding, she continued.

"_He's an idiot_, _and you couldn't have stopped him from doing what he did. You showed today how truly strong you are, Enj. You fought back, you stood up for me. And no one had ever done that for me before. You cannot hear, but that doesn't mean that you are weak or worthless. You are extraordinary, you are incredible"_

Tears had begun to fall down once more from his cheeks, and with her fingers she wiped them away. Carefully, she grabbed his hand, touching slightly the purple marks in his knuckles. She lifted her gaze to see him, meeting his curious gaze as he observed her through blurry eyes. She let go of his hand, a few tears spilling from her eyes and a sad smile in her lips.

"_Besides, who would protect me if you go away?" _

He shut his eyes tightly, his sobs growing once more as he held her waist tightly, moving slightly so now his cheek was pressed against her stomach. She stroked his hair, lulling him to sleep, his breathing returning to a normal pace as his hold slackened a bit. She remained awake several hours without moving, too scared to wake him up. Instead, she rested a hand on his chest as the other continued to caress his hair tenderly. She had never seen him like this before, and she doubted that any of the Amis had either. This side of him, his vulnerable side, was overwhelming. It was as if he had shown her his human side. Normally, he would be cold, severe and sometimes rude with everyone. That's why they called him the marble-man.

But that night, it had been as if all the anger and frustration that had been growing inside of him had finally reached its limit and burst out. She was somehow happy that it had been with her, that he had trusted her enough to reveal his fears to her, just as she had done before. She looked at his face, glad that the sorrow and pain that had been there hours ago had finally vanished. He was the strongest man she had ever met before, and somehow she hoped, that he would finally understand it. Because she had spoken the truth when she said that she would be lost without him.

* * *

After that night, everything returned to normal, a feeling of closeness lingering between the two of them. They moved on, they kept studying until late and sharing afternoons watching movies. Courfeyrac's party had been a success, and almost the whole campus had been there. Although Enjolras hated parties, Éponine had managed to convince him to go, and in the end he had enjoyed himself. Although he never admitted it. Days continue to pass, but it wasn't until Éponine finally finished the most important project of the semester that she finally realized that she had barely seen Enjolras the last couple of days.

Thinking that she was just being paranoid, she decided to ignore it. But then, she also noticed that he would leave the Musain earlier, giving an excuse about the library and Jehan. She tried to go with him but he refused, saying that it would be too boring. He then would leave and she wouldn't see him until late that night, when he arrived to their place with slumped shoulders and a frown in his face. Other nights he would come with a satisfied grin, and others he would just avoid her completely. Something inside of Éponine began to scream that there was something going on with him, but despite her curiosity, she chose to ignore it. If he wanted to tell her what was going on, then he would.

One particular Friday night, her frustration had reached and incredible limit and she had decided to finally confront him. When the door opened, she stood up, ready to sign what she was thinking. But before she was able to say something, he was already signing.

"_Let´s go to the movies tomorrow night." _He signed, his eyes sparkling with something she couldn't identify "_Feuilly got me tickets for the premiere of The King's Speech."_

She raised a brow with suspicion "_You sure? I know how you hate historical movies about monarchy. And it won't have subtitles."_

He waved his hand and shrugged "_That's okay. I think I'll be able to manage trying to understand what they say with those heavy British accents of theirs. Besides, I know how much you love Colin Firth."_

"_I do love him" _she giggled before plopping down on the couch once more "_You win, let's go tomorrow."_

The next night, they arrived at the cinema just in time, so they had a chance to buy popcorn and sodas before entering to the auditorium. There were people scattered all around the place and Enjolras guided her to their seats. They sat comfortably and he handed her the popcorn before getting his hand inside his pocket looking for something. As she looked around the place, popping some popcorn inside her mouth, she suddenly felt the strong urge to rest her head in his shoulder. It was details like that that caused Éponine to believe that perhaps she wasn't the only one feeling something for the other. But probably she was wrong, he was undecipherable, and she would never know.

He offered her a bag of M&M´s which he opened before he poured them over the popcorn. She beamed before shaking the box lightly so the candies sprawled around the popcorn. It had been probably two weeks after they had moved in together that they discovered their mutual fascination of mixing the candies with the popcorn, so from that night on they always did it. She giggled before taking a bunch of the popcorn, making sure to grab some chocolates too and raising them to his mouth. He opened it willingly and she threw the mix inside. She laughed as some of the popcorn fell onto his lap, which only earned her a groan from him.

As the movie began, she slid down her seat, the box of popcorn in her lap. She had been waiting for this movie since it was announced, she had always been fascinated by historical movies, and the fact that her favorite actor was in it just added something more to her excitement. Throughout the entire movie, her eyes never left the screen, but she could've sworn that Enjolras had stolen a glance or two to her. Without wanting to, her heart quickened a bit, but soon she ignored it, too focused on what was happening on the screen. It was the third time that she caught him, but instead of looking away, he held it, a soft smile in his lips.

"_What?" _she signed, a brow raised with amusement.

He shook his head, but answered. "_Nothing. It's just that you look really happy."_

"_Thank you" _she signed, resting her head on his shoulder.

She looked away, a soft blush coloring her cheeks as her stomach fluttered in response. She had just acted on an impulse, but as she felt his arm over her shoulders, a silly smile appeared in her lips. They remained like that for the rest of the movie. As they walked out of the cinema, Éponine couldn't stop signing frantically her thoughts about the movie and how much she had loved it. Enjolras paid attention to whatever she said, a chuckle leaving his lips as she repeated for the third time how good Colin Firth had been. Without realizing it, Enjolras guided her to a Hot-Dog cart. The place was rather nice, some tables scattered around and pendant lights hanging from a tree which covered most of the sidewalk. Éponine ordered for them and they sat, eating their dinner in content silence.

It had been by far the best night she'd ever had. And not only because the guy she was in love with had been with her all that time, but because for the first time, she felt comfortable with being who she truly was. They finished their dinner and continued on their way to their apartment. At some point, she felt his hand slowly brush hers, grasping it gently. She smiled to herself and intertwined their fingers together. When they reached their place, he opened the door and turned on the lights as she put her coat on the hanger and her purse on the table.

"_Thank you for all of this" _she signed walking to him, a beaming smile in her face _"I really enjoyed it"_

"_I'm glad you did" _he signed back, his hand flying to the back of his neck and rubbing it uncomfortably.

They stood in silence for several minutes, waiting for the other to say something more. Éponine looked up to him, her eyes wide and glowing with expectancy. He looked down, his throat suddenly dry. With the light of the room, Éponine admired for the first time the green freckles his eyes had, the clearest blue she had ever seen before. He raised his hands several times, not sure of what to do. She knew he wanted to say something, but something was stopping him. She took a step forward and it was then when he decided to do it.

"_Éponine I…" _his eyes glowed with uncertainty, his hands dropping to his sides once more. He let out a sight before continuing "_I should go to bed. Goodnight."_

And with that he turned around and left her behind, standing baffled in the same spot he had been. She bit her lip hard trying not to cry. Why was she building false hopes? She knew that she would never get what she wanted, and she needed to realize it now before it destroyed their friendship. And that was the last thought in her mind as she buried her face in her pillows, drifting almost immediately into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

At first she had thought it was just a dream. But then, she felt it again, a soft pressure on her shoulder. Éponine pried one eye open and turned her head in the direction she had felt the pressure. Letting out a yawn, she straightened when she realized that it was Enjolras who had woken her. He was kneeling by her side, one of his hands on her shoulder. In the darkness she could see every detail of his face, the contours of his strong jaw and the bridge of his nose outlined by the faint light of the moon that filtered through the heavy curtains. She unfurled one of her legs and made the move to get up, but he stopped her with one hand on her shoulder.

She laid back again, a confused expression in her face. His eyes were shining slightly, blue meeting brown as she felt the tiredness slipping away from her body slowly, soon being replaced by some kind of sense of alert. But one look from him made her relax: his eyes were gentle and unconcerned, studying her face. Suddenly, the corners of his mouth turned up in a soft smile, and she couldn't help but smile back. Perhaps it was just a dream.

Then she felt it, his hand slowly searching for hers, finding it and intertwining them together. His warmth made her feel relaxed as he held it, rubbing soothing circles in the back of her palm with his thumb. Her gaze flew from their hands to his face, the same expression of adoration written in it. She decided to stand up, but then again he stopped her. He then moved closer to her, his face now inches from hers, his breath hitting it, the scent of coffee and old books overwhelming her. And his scent, that purely masculine scent that made her light-headed.

His eyes were filled with curiosity, searched for something in hers for a long moment. When he finally decided that he had found what he had been looking for, he tilted his head to one side and placed his free hand over her cheek, his thumb grazing her cheekbone softly. She closed her eyes, her breath catching in her throat, feeling the edge of the bed dipping under his weight. She opened them again, just to find his face now just a breath away from hers. Shivering with anticipation, she felt his lips slowly press against her cheek, burning her skin with its soft touch. And then, it happened. What she had never expected him to do.

"Éponine," he whispered, his voice hoarse and low "Éponine. I…love…you."

Her eyes widened, mouth opened with surprise as she stared at him dumbfounded. His brow furrowed in concern and he lifted his hands to sign, taking her silence as a bad answer.

"_Did I say it right?"_

A beaming smile grazed her lips, her dimples appearing almost immediately. Swallowing hard the lump forming in her throat, she nodded gently. He seemed to calm down, his body relaxing visibly before he leaned forward once more. Her eyes fluttered closed at his proximity, her heart beating hard inside her chest, and just for a moment, she could've sworn that she could hear his heartbeat too. His lips placed a kiss in her cheek before ghosting her skin until he was right next to her ear.

"I love you."


	8. Unspoken Words II

**_Title_**: _Unspoken Words  
_

_**Summary**_: _Éponine Thenardier felt curious about the quiet man sitting at the corner of the Cafe. But what she hadn't expected was that this beautiful man was special, not like the rest of them all. Soon, she began feeling attracted to him, wishing nothing more than to hear him say what she wanted. But there was something that didn't let him do it. He was deaf.  
_

_**Note: **__I'm completely overwhelmed by the great response this story had, I'm speechless. You are all so sweet, you have no idea the amount of feelings I experienced by reading your reviews. To know that you actually think all of that about my writing and this story is overwhelming. You are all so sweet. I wrote as fast as I could to deliver the end of this story, hope it is everything you were expecting for. I'll also would like to know if you have any ideas you would like me to write, anything you would like to read about this lovely ship. A huge amount of love to my beta-reader, Judybear236, without her this would be a complete mess, you are awesome! As always, I would like to know what you think about this one, if you liked it or what you were expecting for. Perhaps I'll write one of your ideas. And to those who read but are too shy to leave me their thoughts, you are awesome too, to know that there's someone out there reading to what I write is the best feeling in the entire world. Let's continue..._

* * *

She stared at him with wide eyes. Of all the things she was expecting him to do, _this one _was definitely the last one in her list. A shiver ran down her spine at the sound of his voice. It was everything she had dreamt about. There was a certain warmth in it that made her heart beat faster as the words sank in. He had said that he loved her. He actually _loved _her. Her heart seemed to stop for a fraction of second as his eyes looked for hers in the darkness. The surprise of hearing her name and the three words she had dreamt about for many nights was overwhelming, and even if she wanted to, she couldn't move. One of his hands coaxed her to straighten up, and she did, feeling her body numb as he lifted himself from the floor and sat at the edge of the bed. Unsure of what he wanted, Éponine turned her cheek against his palm, enjoying the feeling of his skin against hers.

And it was like that, in the shadows, as he pressed his lips against hers softly. An overwhelming sensation rushed through her body at the simple contact, his lips pressed firmly against hers, the soft pressure making her eyes flutter closed before his other hand came to her neck and lifted her slightly. Without wanting it, her hand flew to the back of his neck, tangling itself in his messy curls, inviting him to move closer. At the feeling of her acceptance, he finally let himself lose control, his lips suddenly turning demanding and urgent as he kissed her with all the longing he had been keeping inside. She let out a pleasured sigh, shivers running down her spine as he whispered against her lips countless times _"I love you."_

His hand traveled to her hair, fingers running through her wild waves as they fought a battle which neither of them was willing to lose. Her hand traveled to his jaw and down his neck, pulling him closer to her, his chest resting against her own before he was finally on the bed beside her. Her heart pounded hard inside her chest, surprised by how perfect their lips molded together. With great gentleness, he pulled away, their lips still inches from the other. She opened her eyes, hazy and unfocused, meeting his, which only seemed to be like hers. Without a second thought, she grabbed his hand, guiding it to rest over her throat. Making sure that he was looking at her, she searched for his eyes before leaning a little bit further.

"I love you" she said, loud and clear.

It worked exactly how she thought it would. The vibrations of her vocal chords traveled straight to his fingertips, making him _hear _what she was saying. His eyes widened as he stared at her lips motionless, his fingers still pressed to her throat. Slowly, his gaze traveled up, meeting her eyes. They stared at each other for a long time, not needing anymore words to express how they were feeling. Slowly, he began moving closer to her once more, until his mouth was right next to her ear. She shivered once more at his closeness, one of his hands on her waist and the other still glued to her neck.

"I love you, Éponine"

His voice was hoarse by the lack of use, but still it managed to make her shiver in delight as she guided his lips to hers. But just before she pressed them against his, she made him look at her lips once more.

"And I love you even more"

Their lips met once more, making her feel as if she was drowning, but this time, she didn't want to be saved. She wanted to drown in him. They spent the rest of the night in each other arms, kissing the other fervently, making up for lost time. He got to feel the soft texture of her skin against his, the vibrations of her lips making him feel as if he could really hear. She learned that she loved the feeling of his strong, lean frame against her curves. Between whispers and soft kisses, they fell asleep in each other's arms, content smiles in their faces. Because for the first time in their lives, they had heard for the first time.

* * *

No one was surprised when they arrived at the Musain that Monday and Éponine informed them that they were going to try being together, as a couple. It baffled Éponine how the Amis had just smiled knowingly before everyone began handing money to Courfeyrac. Enjolras just rolled his eyes, but Éponine made Courfeyrac give her half of what he had won. Being together was something natural for them, as if they had known each other since childhood, it was something normal, something that felt strangely right. They continued to do what they did, with the exception that now he could kiss her without a reason. And she wouldn't stay behind.

If someone would've seen them passing by, they wouldn't' have thought that something powerful and intoxicating was going on between them. When they were in public places, they would barely touch each other. Sometimes it was barely the brush of a hand on a shoulder, perhaps the waist, but aside from that, they wouldn't show any kind of affection. Still, there was that undeniable attraction towards each other. Éponine would always find herself gravitating towards him, or he would steal subtle glances at her.

They had practically jumped the awkward part of a relationship, dating and all of the stuff that might have made them feel uncomfortable. Instead, without knowing it, they had slowly fallen for the other. Éponine couldn't believe that what she had been wanting for months, finally happened. Her most secret desire had come true, and he had been the one to say it first. Finally, she felt that someone needed her, she got to experience what it meant to have someone there for you, that held you in his arms every night, someone who would scare away the nightmares, someone who protected her and loved her exactly as she was. With scars and all.

In public, they barely acknowledge each other, but when they were in the safety of their apartment, their walls crumbled and the love was almost palpable. Their fingers would intertwine as they watched a movie, Éponine curled against him as he pulled her even closer with his arm, his fingers finding her hair and tangling themselves in her waves. Inside their own little world, there were no barriers between them, they needed each other. She became fond of his smile. Whenever she could, she would make him smile. The way his whole expression brightened was priceless. Also she would like to run her fingers through his curls, the soft sigh leaving his lips being her reward.

He showed her that he wasn't made of marble. He was beautiful and magnificent as a statue was, but the way his heart beat faster whenever she was close to him was proof enough to show her how much she meant to him. And he loved her. They would kiss and shower the other with affections, but nothing more. Although sometimes they found it difficult to stop, they always did. Éponine knew that being intimate with him was a big step they would take eventually, and although her body seemed to crave for him, she still didn't feel ready to let herself loose completely in him.

As friends, they both had shared things about themselves that not many people knew. But now as a couple, Éponine didn't want to hide anything from him. She wanted to trust him completely, to know that he loved her as she was, including her past. On a particular night, overwhelmed by how patient he was being with her, she cried. He did nothing but to pull her close and hold her until they both fell asleep. After those nights, they woke up feeling in a way, closer than they had been before before. As the curious girl she was, Éponine would also ask him about his childhood. As a deaf boy, he faced many challenges while growing up, like going to a special school for the deaf. These schools were scarce in the country, so his family had to move to another state so he would be able to go to one. He had friends in that school, but he found his best friends when he met the Amis. At first it had only been Combeferre. He met him at the public library. Intrigued by Enjolras, he invited him to a get-together with his school friends. And that's how he met the rest of the Amis.

They began sharing his bedroom. She would often crawl to bed and wait for him. Sooner or later, he would join her, pulling her into his embrace. Éponine discovered that she began being unable to fall asleep without him. The comfort and warmth that he gave her was something that nothing or no one else had given her before. Also, she became an expert in sign language, which not only earned her the best grade in her project from school, but that also she was able to communicate more fluently with Enjolras. He also became fond of speaking her name. No matter how many times would he say it, she would never get tired of it. Nor of when he said that he loved her.

"_I never asked you" _she signed as they laid in bed, her body pressed against his and her head in his shoulder "_How did you learn to say my name and…you know, how you felt?"_

She stared at the ceiling before feeling the rumble of his chuckle, and soon his hands were up, signing in front of them.

"_You mean the "_I love you"_?" _ He said the three words fluidly alternating them with signs, and although she had heard him say it a million times, the familiar shiver ran up her spine.

She buried her face in his chest and giggled before lifting her hands "_Yes. And you just said it to tease me."_

"_I do like teasing you" _he signed back, and although she wasn't seeing his face, she was sure he was smirking. _"And Jehan was the one to help me."_

Her jaw dropped and she rolled so now her chin was resting in his chest "You mean that it was true that entire thing about the library and Jehan?"

He nodded, a lazy smile stretching in his lips as one of his hands flew to cup her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. As she talked, he rolled them over so now he was on top of her, his hands on her cheeks.

"So I guess I should be thanking Jehan for this." She said thoughtfully, tapping his chest with her finger.

He poked her ribs with a lopsided grin in his face and before she could laugh at him, he had already silenced her by crashing his lips down to hers. The blissful feeling of knowing that someone cared for her was the best thing she could've asked for. Enjolras seemed cold or severe, but underneath that, when he was with her, it seemed that another person came to replace him. But she was not going to complain. He loved her, and she loved him, and life was good.

One of the many things the Amis did together was sports. Éponine hadn't had the chance to see her friends in action. They had formed a softball group, ironically called "Les Amis", since they entered college. They played against other teams of the school or other universities. The last season, they had been eliminated from the tournament when they lost during the semifinals. But now, they wanted to win. What surprised Éponine the most was when they told her that the best player among all of them was Enjolras. Apparently, he had an incredible arm, and he always managed to send the ball flying so far that he even had time to run across the three bases.

He and the rest of the Amis began training every day, and Éponine would always be waiting for him at the apartment. He would arrive home tired, immediately tugging his sweaty shirt over his head and kicking off his shoes before running to the much needed shower. That went on for a month until their first game, which they, without a surprise, won. Bahorel was right when he had told her that her boyfriend was a softball god. Enjolras played with a passion and dedication that left her breathless. Éponine didn't considered herself a very competitive person, but during their games, she began cheering and screaming excitedly whenever he was out on the field, even when he couldn't hear it.

She grew so passionate and supportive of the group that Cosette, Musichetta and she had made some shirts which read "_Team Amis_" and wore them religiously every match. Les Amis soon defeated all their opponents and managed to get to the finals, which was against the team which had beat them last season. The game had been one of the most thrilling and exciting games of all season. Les Amis were losing by one run and it was Enjolras' turn to bat. Joly was on second base, so that meant that if Enjolras was fast enough, they would win. Éponine watched as Enjolras entered the field, his cap low over his eyes as he twirled the bat in his hand, studying the pitcher carefully. Cheers and encouraging words were being heard in the entire place as Enjolras took his place, lifting the bat in front of him and licking his dry lips. Éponine stood watching in awe as Enjolras prepared himself, oblivious to the entire furor that he was causing in the field, not realizing that they were chanting his name. And probably it was for the best.

The pitcher threw the ball and Enjolras hit it with an incredible amount of force, sending it flying across the field a long distance. The crowd erupted in screams and applause as Enjolras threw the bat and sprinted from one base to the other, unstoppable. Joly crossed the plate before Enjolras and stood waiting for him to join in the melee, joining the audience as he cheered excitedly. Éponine cheered with the rest of the audience, approaching the fence and grabbing it as she followed Enjolras across the bases, until finally, he made it to the home plate. She wasn't aware of the commotion around her as the crowd went crazy, cheering and applauding enthusiastically, she stopped hearing for a fraction of second, her eyes on Enjolras as he slowly stood up from the ground, shaking off the dust and dirt from his pants. His gaze lifted up slowly, his eyes instantly finding hers among the crowd, a slight grin forming in his lips before the rest of the Amis swallowed him in a massive group hug.

Éponine laughed as Cosette tugged her by the hand to the field where the boys were. When they reached them, Éponine laughed as Grantaire, Bahorel, Courfeyrac and Bossuet lifted Enjolras from the ground and threw him up, catching him and repeating the action several times, causing his cap to fall down. Despite his attempt of frowning and escaping from his friends, Enjolras soon gave up and let out a whole-hearted laugh, startling Éponine as she stooped to pick up his cap and placed it on her head with a smirk. She had never seen him as proud or happy as at that moment, his expression bright and joyful as his friends continued to launch him as high as they could.

As soon as they changed from their dirty uniforms, they all went to a bar near the field named Corinth to celebrate the victory. The place was completely different from the Musain, but she doubted that Madame Huchelop was going to stand the loud cheers and voices from the slightly inebriated students. Éponine sat on a stool laughing as Courfeyrac recreated dramatically Enjolras' race while Grantaire narrated it, simulating a sports narrator's low voice. Meanwhile, the blonde rolled his eyes at Courfeyrac's acting, although a slight smirk appeared in his lips. The boys erupted in applause as Courfeyrac and Grantaire bowed, taking their seats once more and grabbing their drinks.

A flushed Marius entered the bar, a silly grin in his face as Cosette followed him with the same expression. The student called everyone's attention, pulling Cosette closer to him as the students turned around to face him. Enjolras moved slightly so he could read his lips properly from where he was sitting, tugging at Éponine's hand so she could be still close to him. Although she didn't know what Marius was going to say, by the look on Cosette's face and the way she gripped her own hand, she strongly suspected what they were about to announce. She caught Cosette's eye and winked at her, wich only caused the blonde to blush profusely before Marius blurted that they were engaged.

The Amis erupted in wolf-whistles and cat-calls as Marius kissed Cosette passionately as if to seal the deal. Many of the students sent Éponine worried glances, but she wasn't able to see them as she was too busy clapping and cheering too. She felt Enjolras' eyes on her as she stood up and marched towards the couple, a happy smile in her lips. Two of her best friends were getting married, why wouldn't she be happy? Marius gave her a bright smile before hugging her tightly, causing the brunette to let out a giggle by his excitement.

"You are next, 'Ponine" he said warmly while he hugged her.

She felt her face blush at his comment but only giggled in response before letting go of him and turning to hug Cosette with equal excitement. What she wasn't aware of was that Enjolras' eyes had never left her, his jaw clenching as she blushed at something Marius had said. As she walked away and let the other students hug the happy couple, Éponine caught Enjolras' gaze, her brow furrowing in confusion when she realized that he was standing straight and tense with his arms crossed, his jaw clenched tightly.

"_What's wrong?" _she signed.

But instead of answering, he just turned around and walked out of the bar. She blinked with surprise, watching absent-mindedly at where he had just been standing seconds earlier. Blinking away her confusion, she followed him. She ran after him, catching sight of him leaning back against the wall of the building, his arms crossed as he stared at the pavement. She approached him slowly, and he didn't realize that she was there until she placed a hand on his shoulder. He closed his eyes and let out a low groan.

"_Leave me alone." _he signed, his eyes still closed.

She frowned and grabbed him by the shoulder shaking it slightly and forcing him to look at her. His eyes were troubled, a glint of misery in them.

"_What happened?" _she insisted once more, her expression softer.

He rested his head back on the wall and let out a sigh "_Nothing, just leave me alone."_

Feeling frustration rushing through her body, she grabbed him by the chin and forced him to look down to her, her expression hard.

"_Not until you tell me what happened. You just stormed out without a reason." _she stated.

His shoulders slumped before a sigh left his lips. She dipped her head to catch his eyes, a soft smile appearing in her lips when he finally looked at her.

"_It's stupid. I'm stupid, actually" _he signed, crossing his arms over his chest in defeat_ "When Marius hugged you and you blushed I just…I don't know I've never felt it before, this need to punch him and drag you away from him at the same time. I guess I'm going crazy."_

He looked down, anger bubbling inside of him when he realized that she was actually laughing, her head back as she laughed with amusement. He raised a brow and crossed his arms once more, fuming. Her laughter died soon, leaving behind an amused sparkle in her eyes.

"_What?" _he signed, his expression dark.

"_Were you actually jealous of Marius?" _she asked, a soft smile in her lips, which only grew until he nodded dryly "_What do you want me to do to show you how much I really love you? I blushed at something he said, yes, but not because he hugged me."_

Enjolras rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment before signing "_What did he say to you?"_

"_He said that…I was next one to get married" _she looked at him from beneath her lashes, a soft pink coloring her cheeks.

His eyes widened, the curve of his mouth turning up in half a smile before he reached out to brush her heated cheek with his fingertips, which only managed to make her flush harder. No matter how much it happened, he would never get accustomed to the fact that just a touch from him could make her react like that.

"_Now do you understand why I blushed?" _she signed with a raised brow.

"_Yes I do" _he smirked _"And I must say that I didn't like feeling like that. I'm not willing to share you."_

"_I'm all yours. Want some proof?" _a mischievous grin formed in her lips before she turned around.

She slipped her jacket down her shoulders to show him the back of her shirt, which read in big letters _"_Team Enjolras". She giggled at the sound of his laugh, low and husky as he grabbed her by the waist and turned her around, pressing her against his chest.

"So now do you believe me?" she asked him

He didn't answer, but instead crashed down his lips onto hers, sucking all air out of her lungs by the passion of his kiss. She smiled against his lips and circled his neck with her arms, pulling him closer to her. The familiar rush of adrenaline pumped through her veins as she let herself get lost in him once more. She never thought that this amount of happiness was possible, well, at least not for her. She had spent almost all her life in darkness, too afraid of letting anyone in, too scared of getting hurt. But as she felt his warmth surround her, she knew that that would never happen. He loved her, and she loved him. With every atom she possessed.

* * *

While their relationship continued to grow stronger, Éponine discovered that sometimes it was necessary for either one of them both to help the other when needed. And when it was about finals, it was her turn to help him. Well, not help him academically, because he was the best student of all the class. She would help him by not letting him become a ghost of a man. Enjolras was a passionate man, dedicated and committed. But the problem was that he didn't understand that even when studying, there were limits. If Éponine wasn't there to stop him, he would've spent those two infernal weeks without eating a proper meal or sleeping what was considered to be necessary.

Thankfully, she was there for him. Although she too had finals, the dedication Enjolras put into studying was something completely overwhelming. She would study as long as she could, but when the clock signaled that it was already well past midnight, she would force herself to close the book and get some sleep. Joly had said that the brain works better when it's rested. Enjolras on the other hand, would've stayed awake all night long, a cup of coffee glued to his hand as his eyes roamed all over the contents of his gigantic books.

The Amis had warned Éponine about how stubborn Enjolras could get about the topic of finals, but nothing could've prepared her for the way her boyfriend reacted. Before the two first exams she hadn't been able to make him sleep for even an hour, but on the fourth day she managed to drag him by the shirt to her bedroom, kissing him hard and making every single thought slip away from his mind. He had fallen asleep as soon as his head rested on the pillow, soft snores escaping from his lips as she studied the dark bags under his eyes. She fell asleep proud with herself, but her joy didn't last long when she woke up the next day just to discover that she was alone in the bed, the blonde sitting in the couch with mountains of books around him.

Those two weeks had been the hardest weeks of all her college life. She had managed to get excellent grades in all her tests, but still, by some evil trick of destiny, she still had one more exam left, even when the rest of the campus had already finished. Enjolras finished on Wednesday, arriving to their place and falling asleep immediately on the couch, too tired to even make it to the bedroom. Meanwhile, Éponine had one exam left the next Wednesday, luckily she was one of the best students of that class, so she wasn't as worried as she was for others. As a way to relieve some stress, Enjolras decided that he would prepare dinner for her that Friday, and then they could relax and watch some movies.

Éponine couldn't wait until the semester was over, although practically she and her classmates were the only ones who still weren't finished. She wanted to be able to wake up as late as she wanted to, spend the nights with the guys at the Musain or at the Corinth, not caring when they would return home. But most of all, she couldn't wait to have all the time she wanted to be with Enjolras. She wanted to be able to be with him all the time, to enjoy his presence, to listen to his soft confessions against her ear as he held her. Enjolras too was looking forward to the summer, but it wasn't until his exams were finished that he said that he wanted her to accompany him to visit his parents.

At first, Éponine had been a little reluctant, not to say nervous. Meeting his parents meant that he was getting serious about her. And of course that was what she wanted, more than anything else. If someone talked about the future, she could certainly picture a future with him. After some pleading and assurances, Éponine finally said yes. It was finally Friday and Éponine had accompanied Enjolras to the market to get what he needed to prepare their dinner. Although he had tried to hide most of the ingredients from her so she couldn't guess what he was going to cook, when he entered the aisle where all the different kinds of pasta were, Éponine couldn't suppress a giggle. She adored pasta.

They returned to their home not being able to talk with each other, both of them busy with carrying loads of bags. As soon as the door was open, Éponine rushed to the kitchen and placed the bags on the table, breathing heavily from the effort. Enjolras followed her swiftly, a smirk in his lips as he placed the rest of the bags on the table. She stuck out her tongue at him and returned to the living room to close the front door. She laughed when moments later she heard the sound of pots clashing together and then a groan from him. Placing a hand on the doorknob, she made the move to close it, but before she was able to close the door completely, something caught between the doorframe and the door, making her look down.

A gasp escaped her lips at the sight of a shoe between the door and the frame. It wasn't until then than the scent of tobacco and dirt filled her nostrils, making her dizzy with the disgusting combination. Her eyes traveled from the long leg to the arm which attempted to push the door further open, until she reached his face, a cold sneer and malicious, hating eyes. Before she could react, Montparnasse was pushing the door open. With all the force she could find, she pushed it back, but he was stronger and yanked it open, sending her stumbling a few steps backwards.

"You thought you would be able to hide from me, 'Ponine?" He said with a frightening smile in his lips.

"What-What are you doing here?" she hissed, her hands shaking despite her attempt of hiding her evident fear "Get out, ´Parnasse!"

He took a step forward, eyeing the apartment while he moved closer to her "I told you your old man needs money. And also there's something your _boyfriend_ and I need to…discuss."

"I don't have any money!" she cried out, her eyes wild.

"I have the feeling you are not telling me the truth, dear" he murmured, one of his hands moving to his pocket "And you know I don't like when you lie to me…"

Her eyes followed his every move. Throughout all her life, she had witness Montparnasse and the rest of the members of his dad's gang do that same movement. She knew that he was about to draw out his pocket-knife. She had to do whatever she was able to prevent that from happening. Most of all, she couldn't let Montparnasse know that Enjolras was right there in the kitchen, only he couldn't hear what was going on. And she thought that it was for the best.

"I'm not lying" she growled, squaring her shoulders "And as I said, even if I had money, I would never give it to you."

"Haven´t you learned from your mistakes?" he mused darkly "I always win, darling. You know that in the end I'll get what I want."

"You are wrong" She snarled "This time you'll be the one who loses."

A low chuckle left his lips, making the hairs at the back of her neck stand up. She was too slow to realize what was going on, as in a blink of an eye, the man had launched himself towards her, one of his hands grabbing a fistful of her hair and tugging at it painfully.

"Either you give me the money, or the next time I see that deaf rich-boy of yours, I will make sure to mark every inch of his throat with my knife" he hissed, one of his hands reaching up to cup at her cheek painfully and forcing her to look at him. "Are we clear?"

Éponine swallowed the whimper of pain that threatened to escape from her lips. Instead, gathering every ounce of bravery and strength she had, she elbowed him as hard as she could on his stomach and spit at him directly on his face. The man stumbled back, letting out a grunt. Taking advantage of the distraction, she sprinted towards the kitchen, but it wasn't long until she felt his arm trap her and yank her back, twisting her whole arm painfully, marking her skin with bruises as his other hand found its way to her throat, choking her painfully.

Trying to fight back, Éponine threw her head backwards, the base of her skull colliding hard against Montparnasse's nose. Her vision blurred with tears as the man let out a roar of pain before he sent her flying against the floor. She tried to catch herself by stretching both hands in front of her, but she couldn't. Instead, her head hit the edge of the table, making her fall unconscious almost immediately.

Enjolras had finally finished the sauce. He was rather proud of himself, not only because this was the first time he would cook for her, but because he could honestly say that it was absolutely delicious. Taking off the apron Joly had given him, he walked towards the living room, a satisfied smile in his lips. But it wasn't long until the smile disappeared completely, his eyes falling on the tall man standing just a few meters away from him. He stopped in his tracks, recognizing the man almost immediately. It was that idiot who had tried to attack Éponine and him. The same idiot Éponine had to fight back, not him.

His blood began boiling with anger as the man turned around to face him, a smirk in his lips. Enjolras clenched his fists, prepared to punch him. Suddenly, he caught sight of something he hadn't seen before. Behind the man, he saw Éponine, lying unconscious on the floor. Absolute terror filled his chest at the sight of her, a thin line of blood running down her temple. His eyes returned to the man, who was now smiling openly at him, a terrible glint in his eye. Enjolras took a step forward, his body tense.

"I just came to talk with you, pretty-boy" the man said, raising his hands in surrender. "Oh, and although you can't actually hear me, I know that you can read my lips. I've seen you do it."

Enjolras frowned in confusion, before moving his hands in a questioning movement.

"You want to know what I want to talk about?" he asked with a sick smile. When Enjolras nodded stiffly he let out a laugh. "Éponine, of course. Just came to give you some advice…from man to man."

Enjolras sent a glare to Montparnasse as he began twirling the pocket-knife he was holding. He was not willing to pay attention to him, but he was willing to do whatever it took to get him out of there and make sure Éponine was safe once more. So he swallowed the anger bubbling inside of him and just stared at him, his jaw pressed tightly.

"I don't know what she did to make someone like you notice her. You'll see…Éponine is nothing compared to you. She has never been someone, and she will never be." Montparnasse stated simply "She's scum, like me. She's dirt and garbage. She's a whore who dresses in nice clothing and pretends to be who she's not."

Enjolras growled, moving closer to him, but stopped in his tracks when Montparnasse raised the knife and pretended to examine it.

"It's curious" he began slowly, his eyes on the knife "How she ended up with someone like…you. What does she sees in you? You are just a rich boy who happens to be deaf. I'm sure everyone had told you that you can do everything, am I wrong? But here´s the fact, pretty-boy…you can't."

Enjolras felt as if he had been punched right into his chest, all air sucked out from his lungs. His eyes widened, but managed to hide his evident discomfort. Taking in a deep breath, he composed himself, unconsciously drawing back his lips until he was snarling.

"You live in your own deaf bubble wherein you have everything and do everything. But in reality, you are nothing. And you will never be able to succeed, because you cannot hear." He said with mocked pity, his brows rising. "And Éponine? She'll leave you. You think she'll stay with someone like you? Who depends completely on her? No, she's smart. She'll find someone better than you, someone who can hear. Because you are just an invalid, whether you like it or not."

Montparnasse took a step back and knelt by Éponine's side, tracing with his knife the contours of her cheek. Despite the absolute terror he was feeling, Enjolras moved closer, afraid that if he attacked the man he would end up hurting her even more. So took a step forward, his eyes cold and stormy as he watched Montparnasse, his hands shaking with anger.

"You couldn't even hear her screams as I taught her a lesson!" Montparnasse laughed with malice before standing up "I must go, but I have one more question. How does it feel to fuck her and know that I taught her everything she knows?"

Letting out a terrible roar, Enjolras launched himself towards Montparnasse. In one swift movement, he grabbed his arm and twisted it, forcing him to drop the knife. As soon as the weapon was on the floor, Enjolras grabbed the man by the neck of his shirt and dragged him across the room until he had him pinned up against the wall. Enjolras couldn't control the fury and rage that was coursing through his veins. His instincts told him to kill the man, punch him over and over until he was lying on the floor. But still, he wasn't a monster. He wasn't like Montparnasse. At the sight of complete terror in the man's face, Enjolras felt his anger decrease, but still it was there.

His normally calm and severe expression had transformed into something completely different. He had a furious expression, his cheeks flushed with anger, his blue eyes storming with fury. His fists were clenched tightly as he held Montparnasse in a powerful hold, breathing heavily. Without a warning, he let go of him, but before he had the chance to compose himself, he punched him straight into his jaw, sending him flying to the floor. Montparnasse stared with wide eyes at Enjolras who stood above him, a deathly glare in his face.

"Leave" Enjolras growled, his voice low and hoarse. For the first time, he had spoken without even knowing if he was saying it right, not caring if he had said something wrong or if he sounded silly. He was furious, and the tone in his voice was just a hint of what he was feeling inside.

Montparnasse's eyes widened, cleaning his bloody lip with the back of his hand and crawled away from Enjolras, standing up and making his way towards the door. He sent the blonde a hateful glare, but still the glint of terror was there. He stepped out and pulled the door closed, leaving Enjolras standing rooted to the spot. Still trying to understand what he had done, he took in a large gulp of air, allowing his hands to shake finally. A tear rolled down his marble cheek before he finally composed himself.

He hurried to Éponine's side, kneeling close to her head and cradling her into his arms and holding her carefully close to his chest. Enjolras couldn't remember a time he had been more scared. She felt so fragile in his arms, so delicate and…life less. Enjolras barely dared to breathe, too afraid of hurting her. Swallowing the lump in his throat he grabbed his phone and sent a text of help to Combeferre. He had never felt so empty, the despair in his chest almost unbearable. Montparnasse's words cut right through him, hurting him in a way he had never felt before.

And although he knew the man had just done it to do exactly that, Enjolras couldn't stop the fear that filled his chest. He had to be strong, right now he needed to be strong for Éponine. He would hide away everything he was feeling, he would try to ignore that uneasiness that gnawed his heart, he would try to forget. Although it didn't matter, the damage was already done.

* * *

Éponine had been unconscious for over two hours, resting in a bed at the hospital. When she woke up, she felt a comfortable pressure in her hand, realizing moments later that it was Enjolras' hand holding hers gently as his head rested on the edge of the bed. She tried not to wake him up, but still, the flexing of her fingers caused him to straighten up rapidly, his eyes hazy and heavy with sleep. She gave him a weak smile, which he returned somewhat sadly. It didn't pass unnoticed to her that the smile didn't reach his eyes.

Although the doctor had assured her that everything was all right, they still gave her some pills to prevent the imminent headaches that would be tormenting her for at least a couple of days more. And about the blood which he had seen, it was just a cut right over her brow, just that head injuries tend to bleed profusely. Combeferre had told the Amis that Éponine had fallen down the stairs of their building, not wanting to cause more worries to Éponine and Enjolras. Only Combeferre was aware of the truth, and if he was worried or shocked, he didn't show it. Instead, he arrived with a "Get Well" balloon. The day after the accident, they returned home to find it filled with balloons and stuffed animals from the Amis, a box of chocolates from Musichetta and a huge balloon from Marius and Cosette. Éponine smiled and let Enjolras help her into the room, a nagging feeling inside her chest that something was wrong.

Since they had left the hospital, he had barely glanced at her or touched her, only while helping her move. But as soon as she was on the bed, he would let go of her as if she burned him. As a caretaker, he was perfect. He would check if she was all right, or ask if she was feeling well, he prepared her every meal, checking to be sure that it was all her favorites. He gave her the pain medication and watched her carefully as she made her way around the place. Enjolras was being the perfect boyfriend, but for some reason, she didn't feel as if he was really doing it because he wanted to, it seemed almost like an obligation. Whenever she smiled at him, he would barely try to smile back, his eyes dull and empty as he studied her. Gone was the fire in them, the subtle touches and caresses.

Whenever she began talking about what had happened, he changed the subject, his features darkening. She had no idea what had happened after Montparnasse had thrown her against the table and knocked her unconscious. She didn't know what had transpired between the two men, nor what had happened with Montparnasse or if he had hurt Enjolras somehow. She watched him discretely as he read a book, looking for any signs that showed that he had been hurt. But she didn't find anything, not even a bruise.

The weekend passed quickly, and when Monday arrived, the situation with Enjolras was still the same, if not to say worse. He would avoid her as if she was the plague, only asking her if she was feeling well. Éponine slowly began falling into deep despair, afraid that she had done something wrong and now he was angry at her. The problem was that she had no idea what had happened. She had never seen Enjolras acting this way, the cold looks and distant airs were often reserved for the rest of the world, giggling girls or sometimes Grantaire, but never towards her. She was scared of losing him, and the worst part was that she couldn't do anything to stop it.

She felt that he didn't trust her anymore.

Éponine began to study for her final exam the next days, momentarily forgetting the troubles she had with Enjolras. The night before her exam, she couldn't help her heart from beating faster as he crawled into bed and brushed his hand against hers without a word. For a moment, she felt as if those four days hadn't happened at all, he was by her side, his fingertips slowly touching the back of her palm. But then, she understood why he was doing it. She had her eyes closed and probably he was touching her because he thought she was asleep. She felt something tighten painfully in her chest, trying to fight the urge of opening her eyes and moving closer, burying her face in his neck and placing her hand over his heart. But she couldn't, because now she felt that he didn't wanted her near him. She fell asleep that night soothed by his gentle touch, pretending that nothing wrong was happening, that he would move closer and breathe her name against her ear, that he would hold her and make her feel protected once more.

She returned to the apartment early the next day, finally being able to say that she had finished her semester. Deciding that it was time to settle things between Enjolras and herself, she stopped by the market place and bought the largest box of Reese's she could find and some popcorn. Perhaps they would solve whatever was happening and would spend the rest of the day cuddled watching old movies. With a smile in her lips, she walked to the apartment and opened the door, ready to find him and drag him if she needed to, to the living room. The place was empty, and a frown appeared in her face as she placed the bags on the table and walked to their room. Empty.

A knot formed in her stomach before she hurried to her room, just to find it empty too. Panic began pumping through her veins as she noticed that several of his shirts were missing, along with some books. She ran to the bathroom, only to find his razor and tooth brush missing. Taking in deep breaths, Éponine walked to the living room once more and collapsed down onto the couch, her hands now shaking and her eyes blurry. Had he left her? Hundreds of questions swirled through her mind, making her let out a soft sob. Suddenly, her eyes caught sight of a paper lying on the table, an elegant calligraphy which she would recognize anywhere written on it. She grabbed it quickly as her eyes scanned the paper.

_I left with Combeferre to my hometown to visit my parents. I'll be back in a week or so, probably even more, I'm not sure. I left your medication in the drawer next to the oven. Hope you did well in your exam. Don't try calling me, I left my cellphone there. See you when I return. Enjolras._

Éponine closed her eyes and tried to calm the furious beating of her heart. He had left without her, even when he had asked for her to come with him, and now she was all alone once more. She had been so stupid and naïve, she had loved with all her heart, body and soul, and now for some reason, she felt she had lost it all. Powerful feelings coursed through her body, feelings she thought she had managed to lock out. Sadness, hurt, pain, sorrow, humiliation, and anger, every single one of them tormenting her. She covered her face with her hands and cried, her feeling numb as she slid down further into the couch, the letter clutched tightly in her hand, all plans forgotten.

* * *

It had been two weeks since he had left. She had spent those days locked inside the apartment, dragging herself from the bed to the couch or kitchen. Her eyes were still red from crying so much, dark bags under her eyes, proof that she had spent sleepless nights waiting for him. Éponine walked to and from the market to get food, and when she got home, she just curled up on the bed, without doing anything. The first week it had been almost unbearable to sleep in the bed, his scent surrounding her and making her feel betrayed. The initial anger had vanished, leaving behind a deep sorrow that threatened to overwhelm her completely. The Amis sent her various text messages, and not even once did she answer. One by one they came knocking to the door, pleading her to let them in. But she didn't open the door, not even once. Soon, they stopped going, and although at first she had felt deeply touched by their concern, she thought that it was for the best. They didn't deserve to see her like that. Broken and tired.

By the third week, she had managed to move on a bit. Although she still didn't leave the apartment much, she began spending more and more time in the library, loosing herself in other worlds and stories, trying to find a way to escape from reality. She had grown accustomed to the sadness, and finally she was able to sleep once more in their bed. The feeling of being covered by the white sheets made her feel protected and somewhat isolated, and she could pretend that nothing had happened, that he would return at any moment. Éponine had no idea what had caused Enjolras to act that way, to shut her out and ignore her. Whatever had happened, she was completely sure that she hadn't done anything wrong, and whatever he was dealing with, she couldn't do anything to help him. She wanted to help him, but still, she had no idea how. He had left her, with a pain-filled heart and nothing more.

She would often wonder if he was be thinking of her as much as she was thinking of him. Was he missing her? Was he in so much pain as she was? Did he even care? She didn't know. But she liked to pretend that he did, that he too was feeling as if his heart had been ripped out of his chest. She began sleeping wearing his shirts, comforted by his scent which would calm her down enough to get some sleep. They were rather big, swallowing almost her entire body, but truth to be told, she had never worn something more comfortable. The third week was coming to an end, and still he hadn't returned, as he'd said he would. Perhaps he would stay in his hometown and never return, forgetting her and everything he had here.

The circles under her eyes had vanished slightly, but still the remnants of the sleepless nights were there. It was already late that night, thick silence surrounding her as she lay in the bed staring at the ceiling, the rhythmic beating of her heart and her soft breathing being the only sounds. Éponine had been particularly good that day, she had watched TV and ate a bag of pretzels and an entire ice-cream tub. She couldn't even feel the usual anxiety that always knotted her stomach. She was truly relaxed at that moment. Fleeting thoughts crossed her mind as her eyes began drifting shut. The day before she had had a panic attack when she pondered the idea that perhaps they wouldn't be together ever again, some kind of irreparable damage already caused, and it was all her fault. Her throat tightened and she clenched her eyes shut tightly trying to scare the thought away. It was then when she heard it.

There was the slight creak of the wooden floor just outside the room. She gasped, jumping out of the bed with only his shirt on, her wide eyes fixed on the door. Fear rushed through her body as millions of thoughts plagued her mind, all of them of a possible robbery or even worse, kidnapping. She still was thinking of who could be out there when the door creaked open. She felt all air leaving her lungs as her eyes fell on him. The last person she had thought it would be. The very first person she was hoping to see once more.

His eyes found hers almost immediately, making a shiver run across her spine as her knees faltered. He looked exactly as he did three weeks ago, just that instead of the usual joy she would always find in his eyes, or the fierce coldness she had witnessed for the last days, they were filled with regret and uncertainty. They stared at each other a moment before he entered to the room and closed the door. She blinked furiously trying to prevent herself from crying. What she needed the most was to appear as if nothing wrong had happened, as if her heart had never been crushed and she wanted nothing more but to see him again, for him to hold her.

They stared at each other again, as she tried to maintain her expression neutral, though on the inside, an overwhelming happiness and relief was rushing through her entire body. It was as if those weeks had never happened, she wanted nothing more than to throw herself to him, to feel protected once more. She crossed her arms over her chest, watching him carefully as his eyes revealed the storm he had inside. He raised his hands a couple of times as if he was about to say something, but in the end gave up and dropped his arms down.

"You're back." She stated simply, for the first time, glad that he couldn't hear her voice breaking.

He swallowed, her eyes focusing on her once more before signing _"I am."_

Éponine nodded, looking around the room so she didn't have to look at him. A few tears escaped from her eyes and she hastily wiped them away before nodding once more. "Good."

Slowly, he walked towards her. She lifted her eyes, making him stop in his tracks. She watched him carefully, the slight frown in his face, the faint stubble growing and still making him look as handsome as ever. His lips were slightly parted as he breathed, his clear blue eyes scanning her face desperately, his messy curls looking even messier and alluring than usual. She noticed how his eyes traveled down her body and up again almost imperceptibly, a faint glint of what seemed to be amusement in his eyes. But it was gone as soon as it came. There were so many emotions flitting through his eyes that she couldn't identify a single one. A part of her mind screamed to her to step back, to not let him any closer. He had hurt her, badly, and now he returned and expected everything to be as it had been? But her heart was saying otherwise, promising her the greatest happiness she would ever feel if she let him in once more.

So for the first time, she followed her heart. Éponine unfolded her arms and opened them to him, a few tears now spilling down her eyes. She saw his expression brighten ever so slightly, the frown disappearing and an almost imperceptible sigh leaving his lips before he closed the distance between them and pulled her close to him. He pressed her tightly against him, his face buried in her hair as he breathed in her fragrance, his muscles relaxing as their bodies molded together. She cried some more, nothing compared to the sorrowful tears of the weeks before. Instead, these tears were of happiness, relief, joy and hope. Because he had returned to her.

She felt him move back, his arms still locked tightly around her waist. His eyes were glassy, but the ghost of a smile appeared on his lips as he brushed away some of her tears with his thumb, taking his time to enjoy the sensation of her skin once more. She relished in the feeling of his hands grazing her face carefully, his warmth making her feel as if her lungs had opened once more and she was finally able to breathe properly. Her eyes fluttered closed, leaning into his touch. He leaned forward once more, his lips making contact with the skin of her forehead.

"I'm…sorry" he breathed, the sound of his hoarse voice making a shiver run down her spine. "I'm sorry."

She looked up at his face and watched as Enjolras held his breath slightly in anticipation of her answer. There was no need to say anything, they both understood everything with just looking at each other's eyes. Without a second thought, she rose on her toes slowly and before she could kiss him, his lips were on hers. He kissed her carefully, his lips warm, soft, and gentle as his hands moved to tangle in her brown waves. Her heart seemed to burst at the subtle touch, transmitting everything he felt inside of his with just one touch. It was light and loving, ending too soon. But she didn't complain as he rested his forehead against hers, gripping each other tightly, afraid to let go, afraid that one of them would disappear.

That night she fell asleep in his arms, pulled closer against his chest. One of her arms was over his chest, trapping him in her embrace, their legs tangled, and her head on his chest. She had missed it, his arms around her, the rhythmic beating of his heart, his intoxicating scent. She had missed it all, she had missed him. But now she didn't have to cry anymore, because finally he had returned to her, and that was all she could've asked for. For the first time in weeks, she felt protected again.

* * *

Éponine woke up from the most blissful sleep she had ever had to find herself tangled in sheets. It took her a moment to remember the events of the night before, and as she blinked away the sleep, she was suddenly aware of the warm body by her side. Gazing up, she met his clear blue eyes, that were watching her with the same fierceness she had loved. Enjolras was sitting against the headboard, arms crossed over his bare chest, his messy curls framing his face perfectly. Even at morning, he looked absolutely breathtaking. Brushing her hand through her tangled waves, she sat up, one of her arms propped back for support.

"_I missed this, how beautiful you look right now." _He signed, one of his hands reaching to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear carefully.

Despite her attempt of not blushing, a soft pink colored her cheeks. She looked down, a shy smile in her lips before she glanced up once more and met his eyes. She knew they had to talk about what had happened, and at that moment, she knew it was the right time. Whether it would hurt her or not. She needed to know the truth.

"_What happened?" _she signed, her brow furrowing slightly. "_Why did you leave?"_

She saw him inhale deeply, the same hurt expression appearing in his face once more. Slowly, he placed his hand over hers, grabbing it gently he placed a soft kiss on her knuckles before meeting her eyes once more.

"_The night Montparnasse came…he said stuff only to hurt me." _He began, before taking in a breath and continuing. "_I knew he was doing it just to provoke me, to make me doubt about how much I loved you. And the worst part is that I allowed myself to believe it. I know it was stupid, but I couldn't help but agree on most of the things he said."_

She dipped her head, trying to catch his gaze. _"What did he say?"_

He sighed and ran his fingers through his curls before answering. "_That I would never be enough for you…I'm just deaf, and despite everything I try to do, I will never be as good as I would be if I could hear. He said that you would leave me…find someone better, who could hear."_

At that point, Éponine had already thrown herself onto him, wrapping her arms tightly against his neck. He circled her waist and held her close, stunned by her reaction. After a moment, she moved back and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"I hope you don't believe that, because it's not true" she said softly, her hand cupping his cheek. "You are the greatest man I have ever met, a thousand times better than Montparnasse. You are extraordinary, you are brave, you are caring, passionate, sweet, gentle, and strong. You are beautiful, Enjolras. You are perfect."

He grasped her chin gently and pulled her face up to his, kissing her with all the love he could feel. His arms wound around her waist as she tilted her head to the side, inviting him to deepen the kiss. His fingernails dug into the sides of her back lightly, near to her hips. He pulled back, their breathings heavy as he gazed into her eyes, his own the clearest blue she had ever seen before.

"Beau…Beau…Beauti- Beautiful"

His voice was low as he continued to whisper the word over and over again, slowly moving closer so their lips met once more. His lips turned more urgent as she pulled him closer to her, his tongue outlining her lower lip, causing a sigh of pleasure to escape from her lips. She moved back, and he remained still, watching her. Slowly, she placed her hands at the hem of his shirt, pulling it over her body and head. A soft blush colored her cheeks at his gaze, and as she placed her hand on his, it was all he needed to crash his lips onto hers once more, making her feel more alive than she had ever been.

* * *

She gasped as his lips pressed against her collarbones, his hands pulling her closer to his body, his fingers caressing every part of her he could. As the light streamed through the window, she traced his back with her nails, digging them slightly and wanting him even closer. He was kissing her once more, more gently and slowly, trying to enjoy every second of it. His fingers were running through her hair as her hands touched his protruding collarbones and breast bones, making him shiver in delight. She heard the soft sounds escaping from his lips, amazed by how beautiful each and every one of them were, marveling that she was able to make him feel like that.

He placed a hand behind her neck and pulled her in for another kiss, his body over hers completely, his hips moved against hers slowly, her legs trapping him. As his lips found once more her neck, she let out a pleasured sigh. His eyes then found hers, dark blue meeting brown. One of his hands moved slowly to her throat, his fingertips resting delicately over it, and before she could understand what he wanted, his lips were already showering her neck with kisses, sucking and nibbling slightly, making her tremble and sigh with pleasure.

She kissed him back, making the vibrations of her sighs more pronounced for him. He groaned again, and seized her face, kissing her furiously again. He was listening to her, eager to know how he was making her feel. But she was sure that no words could've described it. The intense feelings coursing through her body were so powerful, making her head dizzy as he continued to cherish her body.

He was moving slowly, savouring the feeling of skin against skin. Her hips rose to meet his every time, his lips next to her ear as he continued to whisper to her. "I love you." A fire, more ferocious than any other was tingling her skin, her hands, gripping his arms tightly, trying to keep him close. His hands moved down her stomach and waist, caressing her skin lightly, as his hips continued to roll against hers. He brushed hair out of her face, and suddenly, her back was arching up, her feet scratching his lower back as he whispered "I love you" one last time, his eyes never leaving hers. The way his name looked as she said it, her lips rosy and swollen from his kiss, brought him to his end.

As the light bathed both of their bodies, he slowly pulled her close against him, his hand moving up and down her spine. Even with the exhaustion they were both feeling, he continued to whisper "I love you", making her smile and reach up to place one soft kiss against his lips.

She brought his hand to her throat and spoke clearly "I love you even more."

He smiled and pulled her against him once more, the silence being the most relaxing and beautiful thing she had ever witnessed. As he continued to caress her back, she thought that she couldn't have been happier than she was at that moment. With the light streaming through the window and the soft chirping of the birds, she was sure that it was the first time she truly enjoyed those sounds. Wrapping her arm tightly around his waist, she admitted that he had taught her how to love. He had taught her how to _listen._


	9. There's No-One To Blame

**_Title_**: _There's No-One To Blame  
_

_**Summary**_: _She didn't date. She wasn't going to let someone break her heart so easily. But what happens when a young attractive student asks her to go out with him? What happens when she begins to fall under his spell? What happens if someone asked him to do it in exchange of something?  
_

_**Note: **Sorry for the long wait for another story! I've been going crazy with my school play and I haven't even had time to breath. Probably I won't update until October 15th, the day of the premiere, but I promise I'll try to write some more during my spare time. I would also like to know if you have any ideas you would like me to write about, prompts or something, I'm open to suggestions! A special thanks to my awesome Beta JudyBear236, you really should love her! Let's see if someone can guess in which movie is based this story. So I hope we'll be seeing soon, but if not, I promise that it is because of rehearsals, wish me luck! I guess I'll need it. So no more distractions. Enjoy.__  
_

* * *

It was a truth universally acknowledged that Éponine Jondrette didn't date. All men brought trouble, whenever a girl let herself fall for a boy, in the end she ended up hurt and alone. Men always break your heart, the only thing they care about is themselves. Of course, they also care about food, drinking, cars, sports and hot girls. But when the time came to truly commit to someone, that's when they left. So that's exactly why Éponine didn't date. She cared enough for herself to not allow an idiot to break her heart. Unfortunately, that was not the same thing her sister thought about men.

Cosette Fauchelevant was the exact opposite to what Éponine was. In the first place, Cosette's golden curls and bright blue eyes were nothing compared to Éponine's dark chocolate waves and mysterious brown eyes. Cosette's porcelain skin seemed to glow under the rays of sun, while Éponine's olive skin made her look like an exotic beauty. Not only physically, but on the inside were they different. Cosette was a sweet creature, peaceful and gentle by nature. Her voice was soft as silk and slightly high without reaching the annoying level. Éponine on the other hand, was fierce and tough, strong and passionate, her voice low and smooth, sometimes raspy and yet alluring. They were the complete opposites, but in each other they had found the best friend and sister they had always wanted.

At the age of nine years old, Éponine was running through the park, a little bundle of sheets held tightly in her arms. Her long hair waved behind her as she ran as fast as she could to get the baby in her arms away from the horrid place they had the bad luck to call home. Although for her, that place would never be her home. As the little girl ran, she wasn't aware of the man in front of her, colliding hard against him and tumbling back. Thankfully, the man grabbed her gently by the shoulders and steadied her. With a gentle smile in his lips and bright warm eyes, that was the moment when she met Jean Valjean. From that day on, Éponine continued to go to the park with Gavroche in her arms, spending the afternoons with Valjean and his daughter Cosette. While Valjean held the little boy in his arms, Éponine and Cosette would play around the park, giggles and laugh surrounding them as they had as much fun as two girls could.

One day, Éponine arrived to the park wearing a bruise in her right cheek and another one in her thin arm. That was the day Valjean asked her if she and Gavroche wanted to live with him. The little girl jumped excitedly, her dimples brightening her face as she said that she would like that very much. To live with Valjean and Cosette, having fun all day, a warm bed, a caring father who would take care of a scraped knee and would hold her when she had a nightmare. Yes, Éponine wanted nothing more but that. She would live with her best friend and her brother! What else could she ask for?

Valjean spoke with her parents privately as she waited in the living room with Cosette and Gavroche in her arms. An hour later, Valjean was carrying their little bags into their new home. It wasn't until years later that he had revealed to Éponine that it hadn't been too difficult to negotiate with her parents; the two had agreed rather quickly to sign the adoption papers. She expected some kind of sadness to take over her, disappointment or anger, but instead she felt nothing. Probably because she never really considered them her parents. They never give her any reasons to.

As they grew, Éponine soon became a young lady with strong opinions about society and the world. She would always say what she was thinking or would engage in long conversations with Valjean about injustice and opportunities. Meanwhile, as soon as Gavroche learned to walk and talk, he became a mischievous child, running around the house and back yard, never getting tired, always curious and eager to learn. The Jondrette kids had found in Valjean the father-figure they were missing, who gave them all the love and protection a father should always give. Cosette and Éponine managed to enter to the University in their city, one of the most prestigious schools of the country, so that meant that they would be able to still live with Valjean and Gavroche.

One of the many things Éponine admired about Valjean was his protective side, how he always acted with the two girls as if he was willing to do anything for them. When they walked together, he would always be sure that the children were in front of him, always making sure that they were safe and protected. Éponine also admired him because of his rules. Rule number one: no dating. Although they were already in college, Valjean didn't give in, and said that not until after they graduated would they be allowed to start a serious relationship. Until then, no dating. Cosette had always hated this rule and had done everything she could to make him change his mind, but luckily, their father was firm and didn't give in to her big watery eyes and lovely pout. She would have asked Éponine to help her convince Valjean, but everyone in the house was aware of her decision of never dating. Cosette, as the good sister she was, respected her choice and continued her campaign against the house policy on her own.

That was until she met Marius Pontmercy. She had hit the attractive student as she walked hurriedly down the hall, late for her class. Her books had gone flying, as well as the girl. The freckled man had hurried to her side, his eyes wide with surprise and worry. Taking the hand he was offering she stood up, her eyes still fixated on the student. Apparently, he was also as dumbfounded as she was, his mouth hanging open as he watched her with awe. They stood rooted to the spot contemplating each other. That was until she realized the awkwardness of the situation and giggled softly, surprising him. He introduced himself and she did the same, and before they went on their respective ways, he asked her if she would like to go out with him some day.

Cosette's face brightened, but before she was able to accept, she remembered the ridiculous rule. Explaining quickly to Marius of this, she apologized and promised to do anything in her power to get her father to allow her to date. After her classes were over, she met Éponine at the entrance of the library. The brunette had gotten a job in the library for some extra credit, and as she was a devoted reader, it was probably the best job she could've asked for. As they made their way to their home, Cosette told her sister every detail about her encounter with the attractive man and her plan to convince their father to change the rule. Éponine listened quietly, already knowing what Valjean's answer would be and feeling a little sorry for her sister.

Valjean arrived home from work before dinner, Gavroche with him. Éponine was lying on the couch reading when the little boy ran up to her and jumped on top of her, trying to tickle her. She laughed and put the book away, grabbing the boy by his armpits and lifting him up, tickling him as he squealed with laughter and rolled onto the floor.

"You are so mean, 'Ponine!" he laughed before kneeling against the couch and resting his chin on her stomach "I just wanted to say hello!"

She rested back on the couch and chuckled "Liar, you just wanted to tickle me. Now go put your stuff away and come back for dinner."

"Someday I'll do it and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" the boy stated triumphantly before standing up with his back-pack and running up the stairs.

"No running!" Éponine called after him.

His only answer was a muffled groan. Éponine laughed softly before opening the book and returning her attention to its content. The sound of heavy footsteps made her look up, her eyes finding Valjean walking into the living room, taking his jacket off. Through the years, the man she had met at the park had aged considerably, as life didn't spare anyone from the effects of time. His hair had some white strands here and there, he had crinkles at the corners of his eyes and expression lines by his mouth. He still was tall and impressive, his eyes still sparkling with their usual warmth and love.

"That boy is really smart" he said with his deep voice, smiling at her tenderly as she sat up gingerly.

The door of the kitchen swung open, and before she could answer, Cosette appeared taking off the apron, a bright smile in her lips "Hi Daddy! Dinner is ready, so come!"

Éponine sighed and stood up, following Valjean into the kitchen. Gavroche came down the stairs and ran to Éponine's side, who placed one arm around his shoulders. The scent of lasagna clouded their senses, making her mouth water as they entered the kitchen, and it wasn't until then that Valjean muttered.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say she wants something."

Éponine giggled but didn't say anything and sat down, cutting a big slice of the delicious meal for Gavroche and then another for Valjean and Cosette. The dinner was simple and comfortable, as they shared what they had done that day. Gavroche, as usual, spoke most of the time, jumping from one subject to another. They listened to the boy's incessant rambling as he spoke between mouthfuls of lasagna. The boy finished and Éponine sent him to do his homework, to which he only groaned but complied. As soon as the boy was out of sight, Cosette leaned forward, a big smile in her lips as she fluttered her eyelashes in an adorable way.

"Daddy, you think I'm a good daughter, don't you?" she asked softly, her cheek resting in one hand.

Valjean raised a brow but nodded "Both of you are."

"So…would you actually think of letting me go out with a boy?" she asked carefully, her hands together in a pleading way.

"Absolutely not" stated Valjean automatically with a shake of his head.

"But daddy! Come on!" she pouted desperately "I must be the only girl on campus who's not dating somebody!"

"Oh no, you're not" he answered with a wave of his hand "You sister doesn't date either."

"Nor do I intend to." Éponine mumbled under her breath before getting another piece of her lemon pie inside her mouth.

"And why is that again?" Valjean asked Éponine thoughtfully as if to prove his point.

She swallowed and stated simply "Men are jerks."

Valjean pointed a finger at Éponine with a knowing glance before turning to face Cosette once more, who seemed as if she would begin crying at any second.

"But that's because she's Éponine!" the blonde squeaked indignantly, before placing a hand on her shoulder and softening her expression "Although you're beautiful, Ép, and a lot of guys would like to go out with you."

Éponine chuckled before rolling her eyes slightly and continued to eat her pie "Not even in a million years."

Valjean's expression seemed to brighten as he clapped slightly and stood up. Both girls moved their attention towards him as he placed his hands at the back of the chair.

"All right, new rule" He said, his eyes twinkling as he paused to add some excitement. "Cosette can date."

Both girl's eyes widened, Éponine's mouth opening with surprise as Cosette let out a little squeal of joy. But that was until Valjean continued, pointing his finger at Éponine.

"When she does"

Cosette spent the rest of the night pleading with Éponine, but the brunette didn't give in, stating simply that her sister was out of her mind. Cosette returned to her bedroom gloomily, vowing to find a way in which she would be able to go out with Marius. The next day, she saw Marius once more, her heart beating incredibly fast as he waved a hand at her and walked in her direction, a beaming smile in his face. She waved back, but her expression dropped as she remembered her undeniable failure in her plan. The student listened patiently to Cosette as she narrated the events of the night before with a sorrowful expression, and it wasn't until the girl had finished that he spoke.

"You say that your dad will let you date when your sister does?" he pondered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yes" Cosette nodded sadly "But I already told you, it's impossible. She won't ever date, Éponine is just too stubborn for her own good!"

Marius' expression brightened mischievously at her words "Stubborn you say?"

"As a mule" Cosette stated simply, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I know exactly what to do" Marius answered, grinning widely.

Cosette's eyes widened before smiling tentatively "You do?"

"Yes. I'm going to make one of my friends go out with her." He said cheerfully, rubbing his palms together "Go tonight to the Café Musain, just two streets down from the campus. Take Éponine with you, and also a list of what she likes and dislikes. This is going to work."

"Are you sure?" Cosette asked doubtfully, biting her lip.

"Absolutely" Marius grinned, before reaching out and grabbing her hand softly. "I must go, but see you tonight, okay? This is going to be great!"

Cosette stood frozen as she watched Marius disappear. If this didn't work out she was going to be in so much trouble with Éponine, and the least she wanted was to make her sister angry. She was scary when her features darkened and her eyes narrowed. The blonde shook her head and turned to leave, trying to ignore the feeling that she was doing something bad. Instead she tried to remember the feeling of his hand on hers, a silly smile appearing in her lips. Yes, everything was going to be fine.

* * *

Enjolras was sitting at a table in the corner of the Musain, a book in his hands as he tried to ignore the laughter of his friends. He still didn't know why on Earth he tried to read in company of these fools, it was almost impossible to concentrate on the words he was reading when Bossuet's booming laugh and Grantaire's drunken words managed to get his attention. But he never gave in, his eyes firmly set in his book, the only sign that he was annoyed being the constant frown in his face. Les Amis had been together since high-school, Enjolras, Combeferre, Marius, Grantaire, Courfeyrac and Jehan being the ones who had founded their little group. Later in college, Joly, Feuilly, Bahorel and Bossuet had joined it, adding a wide diversity to their humble group.

As he took a sip of his dark coffee, he let his eyes travel around the table, watching as Courfeyrac put two straws in his mouth and pretended to be a walrus, earning loud laughs from the rest of the Amis, making even the usually serious Enjolras grin slightly. He hadn't earned the name "Marble Man" for no reason. First of all, his golden curls framed his face perfectly, his angular jaw firm, clear blue eyes capable of making someone shiver under his powerful stare. His Greek nose complimented his face perfectly, his lower lip slightly fuller than the other, expression lines at the corners of his mouth, formed by his passion of talking and expressing his thoughts. He was a natural orator, his voice and words being his most powerful weapon. He had heard many times how Courfeyrac and Grantaire would make fun of the large number of girls pinning after him, but not once had he paid attention to them.

He didn't date. Women were only a distraction from his work and important matters, like becoming the greatest lawyer in the city. His desire to help people had manifested since he was a little boy, at the sight of so many homeless people, living in a world of injustice and discrimination. So that was the reason why he devoted himself to his studies, and engaging in the frivolous act of dating could only lead to trouble and distraction. That was his opinion on the matter, but only until that day when Marius burst through the door, cheeks flushed and eyes wide, scanning the Café eagerly. He spotted his group of friends soon and ran to them, or more specifically, to Enjolras. Pushing Joly so he could sit in front of the marble-leader and earning a whimper from the med-student, Marius leaned forward onto the table until Enjolras looked up, a frown in his face.

"What?" he asked slightly annoyed.

"Do you remember the girl I told you about yesterday? Cosette?" Marius began, scanning Enjolras' face nervously, waiting for some kind of reaction, but the blonde remained impassive.

"How could we forget her?" Courfeyrac answered loudly with a smirk, earning some snickering from the rest of the Amis "You couldn't stop babbling about her 'golden hair that shines like the sun'!"

"Cosette! Her name is like the most beautiful of the poems!" Grantaire mocked, raising the bottle in his hands. "Her voice is like thousands of angels singing!"

The Amis erupted in laughter as the freckled man blushed profusely, looking down on the table and mumbling under his breath that it was the truth. As soon as their laughter died, he looked up to watch Enjolras once more, who was already reading again.

Marius blurted out a sea of words, in which Enjolras could only understand the last lines. "I can't take out Cosette until Éponine starts dating. Her dad has this rule where the girls aren´t-"

Enjolras raised his hand and said dryly. "That's a touching story, it really is. But not my problem."

"Come on, Enjolras!" the student pleaded with wide eyes. "Just listen to me! You are the only one who can help me!"

"You want me to date this girl?" Enjolras scoffed annoyed.

Marius ignored Enjolras' tone and answered with relief "Yes!"

"No." Enjolras snapped.

"What about us?" Bahorel demanded with a hurt expression "Aren't we pretty enough to date this girl?"

The rest of the Amis agreed with nods. Marius sighed exasperatedly and ran his fingers through his brown hair.

"Guys you are all pretty!" he groaned before pointing at Enjolras "But he is stubborn as a mule and Éponine is stubborn as a mule too! So they must be great together!"

"Éponine? Oh what a beautiful name!" Grantaire cheered earning some chuckles from the rest of the Amis.

"Musichetta has a friend named like that" Joly mentioned, his thoughts flying to his girlfriend.

"Like Éponine and Sabinus?" Jehan interjected with bright big eyes.

"I think there's an Éponine in one of my classes…" Combeferre said thoughtfully tapping his chin with one finger.

Enjolras began growing more impatient with every comment, watching as Marius began growing redder and redder, whether it was because he really was blushing or because he was about to rupture an aneurism. The blonde sighed and closed his book with a loud thud, silencing the students immediately.

"Just because she's stubborn doesn't mean that this would work." He declared sternly "And I'm not stubborn."

"Yes you are!" Joly laughed, but soon was cut by Enjolras' deathly glare.

"Do this for me Enj, at least just look at her for one moment!" Marius pleaded, seemingly on the verge of tears. "Cosette is going to bring her so you can see her! Please I beg of you! I'll do anything you want!"

Enjolras shook his head and made a move to open his book again "I don't want anything."

Marius began rambling, oblivious to the fact that Enjolras was no longer paying attention to him. Until he finally blurted out "I-I…I'll talk with my grandfather to get you an internship in his law firm!"

That seemed to catch Enjolras' attention. His head snapped up, eyes scanning Marius' face intently looking for any sign that revealed that he was joking. But he found none.

"You got him" Combeferre whispered with a smirk.

Enjolras rolled his eyes and asked sternly "Are you being serious?"

"As serious as I can be" Marius stated with a nervous stare, fidgeting with his hands. "So will you do it?"

"You'll get me an internship" Enjolras repeated carefully, before finishing almost in disbelief "Only for dating this girl?"

"That's right." Marius nodded "If she goes out with you, I'll be able to go out with my dear Cosette and you'll get your internship, deal?"

Enjolras nodded stiffly before closing his eyes and sighing. "I can't believe I'm doing this…"

And with that, the students burst into cheers. Enjolras rolled his eyes and returned his attention to his book as Marius continued to thank him enthusiastically. The door of the Café swung open and the group became suddenly silent. Confused, Enjolras looked up to see what had happened, only to find Marius wearing a silly grin, looking straight to the newcomers. The blonde raised a brow and moved slightly to his right to see whom the other Amis were watching so intently. He caught sight of a pretty blonde wearing a floral dress and a matching sweater, but he couldn't see properly the other girl standing behind her. He thought that they were Cosette and Éponine.

His suspicions were confirmed when Marius shot up from his seat and ran to the girls, the pretty blonde smiling widely as the student rambled about the weather and nonsense. Enjolras rolled his eyes at the freckled man and continue reading, trying to ignore the fact that the girl he was supposed to go out with was just a few meters away from him. Enjolras had dated, not too many girls and had had a couple of serious girlfriends, but they had meant nothing more for him. He always found an excuse to break up with them, too annoyed by the fact that they seemed to like him only because of his looks. The girls he had dated had been shallow, and he was completely sure that he was not willing to spend time on someone like that. Women only meant distraction, with their mysterious eyes and alluring voices, they only meant to taunt men and confuse them. Enjolras had never met a girl who was willing to actually talk about important matters, and until Enjolras met a girl like that, he was going to stay far away from them. Well, except from Éponine, although he would need to prepare mentally for that difficult task.

"Guys, this is Cosette!" Marius cheerful voice exclaimed as he grabbed the blonde by the shoulders. "Cosette, these are the guys."

"Hi" Cosette chirped, her eyes glowing with joy.

"A pretty name for a pretty girl" Courfeyrac winked at her, which only caused her to blush.

Jehan slapped him not too hard on his head "Don't scare her away! She's Marius friend!"

"Forgive them" Marius said glancing at them with a reproachful stare "Sometimes they can't control themselves. They are a little…childish."

"What are you talking about, lover boy?" Grantaire exclaimed indignantly "You are the one who still eats Lucky Charms!"

Marius cheeks turned a deep shade of red as the rest of the Amis burst out in laughter, alarming the whole Café and a certain brunette who was sitting at the opposite corner reading. Cosette giggled slightly, which made Marius feel at least not so embarrassed, especially overwhelmed by the fact that she had placed her hand on his chest lightly.

"I only came for a moment, my sister is waiting for me." Cosette said with a gentle smile before leaning forward so only the group of students could listen "So…who is Enjolras?"

All heads turned towards Enjolras, who at the sound of his name looked up with a curious glance. When he noticed that the blonde was staring at him, he raised a hand "I am."

Cosette's expression brightened cheerfully before grabbing a folded paper from the depths of her bag and giving it to him. Enjolras took it carefully in his hands before unfolding it slowly. The paper said at one side "Likes" and at the other one "Dislikes", and as his eyes began reading it he was aware of Cosette's voice speaking.

"It's a list of what she likes and dislikes, so you can know how to start a conversation or something like that" Cosette explained. Enjolras' gaze slowly lifted up until he met Cosette's once more. "She works at the university's library, you can see her there almost every day."

"Thank you" Enjolras mumbled before folding the paper and putting it inside his jacket.

"Well, I'll go sit with Éponine, but it was a pleasure meeting you all!" Cosette chirped before waving goodbye and turning to walk in the opposite direction. Marius followed her and sat down with the girls.

It wasn't until later that he finally was able to see Éponine properly for the first time. She was wearing a large sweater and dark blue jeans, her dark chocolate waves hanging loosely around her shoulders. Her skin was an olive color, reminding Enjolras of an exotic creature described in many books. Her eyes were big and round, glowing under the light of the Café, were they brown? He observed her quietly as she walked by Cosette's side, smiling brightly at something Marius had said. He noticed the prominent dimples in each cheek, but of course, she was the kind of girl who would have dimples. Her white teeth contrasted with her tanned skin, her heart shaped face framed perfectly by her hair. She was taller than Cosette, but her body was leaner, the right curves where they needed to be.

Enjolras noticed this during barely five seconds as the sisters exited the Café, Marius opening the door for them. She was beautiful. He groaned internally as she left the place, her laughter still echoing in his ears. What had he gotten into?

* * *

The next day, he walked to the library with his messenger bag held tightly. He had spent the night before in his apartment reading the list, intrigued by the mysterious girl who he was supposed to date. He discovered with pleasure that they shared many things in common. Her reading list included from Shakespeare and Jane Austen to Voltaire and Charles Dickens. She enjoyed listening to Jazz and Classical music, but she also listened to Coldplay. She loved Italian food and chocolate ice-cream. Her favorite season was winter and she liked rain. Enjolras felt strangely unnerved to discover that he actually had something to talk about with her. She hated smokers, injustice, discrimination, she was afraid of the dark (although Cosette had put a note by its side saying that it was a secret), she hated math, insects and coconut.

Enjolras entered the library and noticed that she was sitting behind the counter. As fast as he could without making much noise, he walked to the big shelves and hid behind one, pretending to be reading the titles of the books in front of him. He peered from the gaps of the bookshelf, observing the girl as she continued to read, unperturbed. She was surrounded by thick textbooks that that he supposed were the ones she was going to shelve later. He frowned slightly, realizing that he didn't even know what she studied. He had been hidden behind the stacks, feeling ridiculous at the fact that he was actually _hiding _from a girl, acting as a stupid teenager.

His vision traveled from where she was across the room, to the books he had in front of him. Enjolras knew that she probably hadn't even noticed his presence, so he just remained there, watching her curiously. In that moment, he learned that she had the habit of biting her lower lip. He also noticed that she was reading "Great Expectations." She had in one hand a bottle half-filled with water, from which she took a gulp every few minutes. He repeated to himself his goal of getting to know her, to ask her on a date (which would surely be a complete disaster) and finish this stupid deal. Cursing Marius internally, he took a deep breath, grabbed the nearest book to his reach and marched out from his hiding place.

He arrived at the counter, but she was too engrossed in her book to realize that Enjolras was practically in front of her. He waited, to see if she would notice, but apparently she wouldn't realize that he was there until he let her know. He gave up, and running his fingers through his curls, pushed the book across the service counter and cleared his throat.

"Hello." He said politely, a small smile in his lips.

When Éponine finally realized Enjolras' presence, she froze. Momentarily stunned by the student, she closed her book and stood up.

"Uh, hello" She finally answered with a smile "What can I do for you?"

"I would like to borrow this book" Enjolras stated, pushing the book forward so she could grab it.

"Sure" she smiled, taking the book and opening it to take out the card. He gave her his own student card as she wrote down some stuff in the notebook. "Good book."

He looked up startled, shocked by the fact that he had absolutely no idea of which book he had taken. Quickly, his eyes traveled to the cover which read "The Count of Montecristo". Luckily, he had already read it, not to mention that it was one of his favorites.

"Yeah, it's one of my favorites" he answered with a shrug, a stony expression in his face. "This one is really interesting too."

She smiled as he pointed at her book "I know, I think it's my third time reading it."

"So…you read a lot?" he questioned casually after a moment of silence, feeling his stomach form knots when she looked at him. Why did he felt so guilty?

"Yup" She beamed "That's the main reason why I applied for this job. Extra credit for being surrounded by books."

He chuckled softly and decided that if he wanted to make her go out with him, he needed to start working on it, so he stretched out his hand "I'm Enjolras."

"Éponine" she answered, her eyes sparkling. She grabbed his hand and shook it gently and although he tried to ignore the softness of it, he couldn't help but miss the contact the moment she let go of it.

"So, uhm, Éponine" he said, clearing his throat "Would you like going out with me someday? You know, to…get to know each other?"

"What?" she asked with a laugh "I'm sorry, but I don't date."

Enjolras tried to feign surprise, so he frowned "And why's that?"

"I just don't believe in that whole thing of "dating", it's only a frivolous act in which two people pretend to be interested in each other" she declared simply.

His eyes widened at her statement. Her words…it sounded exactly like him. Trying to hide his evident surprise, he cleared his throat. He had never known of a woman who simply wasn't interested in dating. For all he knew about the opposite sex, what they wanted was to find what they called "true love", live happily ever after and all that nonsense. But Éponine Jondrette had destroyed every single expectation he had about women. Now he was truly interested in her.

"What if it's not a date?" he offered, grabbing the book she was giving him and placing it inside his messenger bag. "What if it's just a man and a woman discussing about certain topics?"

She laughed, a clear crystal laugh "Perhaps."

He couldn't hold back a small chuckle at the sound of her laugh, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she watched him. For the very first time in a long time, Enjolras felt the need to know a girl more. He wanted to make her laugh once more. He wanted to know what she liked and disliked, not from a piece of paper, but from her.

"So I'll see you around?" he asked, trying not making his voice sound too pleading as he clutched the bag's strap tightly.

Enjolras observed amazed how the curves of her mouth turned up, transforming into a small smile which then turned into a big bright smile, her dimples showing "Of course."

He nodded and waved goodbye, exiting the library quickly. As soon as he was out, the fresh air hit his heated face, and taking in deep breaths he realized that he had never felt this feeling before. This need to go back inside and spent the rest of the day talking to her, listening to her thoughts and opinions, making her laugh and her dimples show. Running a hand through his curls, he began the walk down to his apartment, thinking about when he'd be able to to see her again. _Damn you, Marius Pontmercy._

* * *

Éponine arrived home that night feeling strange. Her day had been quite normal: she took her classes, had lunch with Musichetta and Cosette and then worked at the library. Although she had tried to forget the student she had met, apparently for no reason, she still couldn't shake off the haunting memory of the sound of his smooth voice and how blue his eyes were. Enjolras, he had said. She had never seen him before, probably because she didn't walk around the campus much, although she had noticed that his card said that he studied Law. Yes, he had everything to be a successful lawyer, not to mention how ravishingly handsome he was.

She ate in silence as Gavroche talked, only talking when Valjean asked her if she was feeling all right. When she was finished, she hurried to wash the dishes and ran to her room. Trying to keep her mind focused on her homework, she almost didn't realize that it was already really late. If Cosette hadn't entered to check on her, probably she would've continued to work on her upcoming assignments all night. The blonde asked her if she was alright, but when Éponine's answer was to ask if she knew which was the Law building, Cosette merely answered with a negative and giggled, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she went out of her room. Éponine fell asleep that night thinking that perhaps she would see him again. Luckily she remembered that he needed to return the book someday.

It wasn't until two days later that he returned. He looked as he had the first time he had come, messy curls, bright eyes and a serious expression. He took another book once more, this time it was one of her favorites: "Love in Times of Cholera." Enjolras stayed for at least another ten minutes as she talked about her favorite parts of the book, the complexity of the characters and some stuff about the author. He listened patiently, truly interested in what she was saying, or that was what she wanted to believe. After she was finished, he asked her once more if she wanted to go out with him, as friends that only want to know each other. She suppressed a giggle by his insistence but said that she still had work to do in the library, shelve some books and correct the inventory.

"I can wait" he said simply, smiling softly at her before he turned around and walked towards one of the many tables.

Éponine smiled and shook her head in disbelief. She could go and grab a cup of coffee with him, it wasn't a date or anything like that, right? As she hurried to finish what Monsieur Mabeouf had asked her to do, she couldn't stop herself from stealing subtle glances at him. He was like a marble statue, if it wasn't for the movement of his chest and the way his eyelashes caressed his porcelain skin every time he blinked, she would have thought that he truly was a statue. His chiseled jaw, straight nose, full parted lips, his subtle chin cleft and bright blue eyes. He was beautiful, for lack of a better word to describe him. He would often catch her looking at him, and she would blush and disappear behind the shelves. She was also aware of his gaze, following her as she walked around the library.

They spent that afternoon talking with each other. Éponine had never thought that such a serious and reserved man could be so passionate and zestful whenever he talked about the things that he liked, such as France and liberty. She found herself caught up in every single word he said, her eyes wide as she took in every single thing he expressed. Also she had the chance to surprise him when she began questioning one of his many statements about the projects of the government, such as the incoming pensions. They were engaged in a heated argument for almost a complete hour, and they would've continued if it weren't for the fact that her phone began ringing insistently. They exchanged numbers and parted ways, a smile in both of their faces.

It was a week later until she saw him again. She was at the music store getting the new Coldplay album. So far it had been a quiet day, it was Friday, and so Monsieur Mabeouf allowed her to leave early. Not that she had plans; normally she would stay at home and relax, read something, watch movies or maybe listen to some music. On Saturdays she would go out with Musichetta and Cosette, to the movies or to dinner. Sometimes it would only be Cosette and she, as Musichetta also had to go out with her boyfriend, was his name Joly? However, that weekend she was going to be alone. Cosette was going out with Musichetta and Joly, or that was what she would tell Valjean. What their father didn't know was that Marius would meet them there. Feeling guilty for leaving Éponine behind, she insisted that she needed to come with them. But Éponine refused kindly, she wasn't willing to spend the night with two couples while she was awkwardly sitting there.

That Friday she decided to spend a little amount of her money on a CD, so after she finally had the album in her hands, she exited the store happily, reading the song list behind. It took her a while to realize that there was someone standing near her car, so it took her by surprise when she heard Enjolras' smooth voice.

"Nice car" he said casually, observing the car with an interested gaze "It's really difficult to get one of these."

Éponine's head snapped up, her eyes wide as she stared at the blonde with surprise. She smirked and put the album inside its bag before saying "Are you following me?"

He let out a sigh and raised an arm towards the building in front of them "I was in the laundry and I saw you so I came over to say hi."

She approached the car and chuckled "Hi"

"And what I said about your car is true" he continued, straightening up and walking to meet her in the middle "This is a really awesome car."

"Thanks, I do believe this car is amazing" she stated proudly, glancing at her 1967 Chevrolet Camaro fondly "You have no idea what I had to do to find this car. In the end Valjean was the one who found it first."

"At least it was worth it, Camaros are the best cars that have been invented." He chuckled, before raising his hand and rubbing the back of his neck "What are you doing next weekend?"

She listened to him as she made her way to her car, opening the door and throwing her bag inside "Not much, probably going out with Cosette and 'Chetta. Well, that is if they don't go out with their boyfriends first."

"Why don't you come to Grantaire's party with me?" he asked, fighting the urge to turn around and leave. He had never been the talking type. "He's a friend of mine and he's throwing a party next Friday, I'm sure Cosette and Musichetta will come, as Marius and Joly are coming too."

"You are friend with Joly and Marius?" she asked surprised. _What a small world_. When he nodded, she let out a soft giggle, leaning against the open door of her car "I don't know…I'm not much into parties and all that."

"Think about it, I'm not a party guy either but Grantaire has threatened me that if I don't go he will hate me for all eternity" Enjolras rolled his eyes.

She giggled, before running her hand through her hair and hopping inside her car, rolling the window down "You never give up, do you?"

"Was that a yes?" he asked loudly as she turned on the car with a loud noise.

She put the car in reverse and moved the car slowly as she laughed and shook her head "No…"

Enjolras raised a brow and followed her as she maneuvered the car to position it straight. He walked down the street by her side as she continued to move "Well, then it was a no?"

She laughed loudly before hitting the gas "No!"

"I'll see you at nine thirty, then!" he said loudly as she drove away, the only answer her clear crystal laugh.

Enjolras waved goodbye and watched her drive away, a soft smile in his lips. As soon as he realized that he was smiling to himself, he frowned and pursed his lips. What was that? After watching her turn around the corner, he walked in the direction of the laundry. He wasn't sure what hurt the most, being smoothly rejected or knowing that he would have to keep insisting so he could get that internship. He knew that if he stopped a minute to think about it, he should be feeling even worse by the fact that he was only interested in Éponine because it was the only way he could get what Marius had promised him. In other words, he was using her. Enjolras knew that he was wrong, he was not like that. He had been raised to be a gentleman, not the kind of guys who only use girls to get what they wanted. Sighing with frustration, he got his clothes and went to his car. He knew that if it wasn't for this stupid deal, he wouldn't have probably known Éponine. But perhaps he would have. Maybe one day he would've gone to the library and met the brunette, she would have said something about the book he was going to borrow and he would answer. Perhaps he would introduce himself and later he would make her smile. Days later he would see her once more, they would get to know each other more, and maybe, just maybe, they could go further. But he knew that that would never happen. As soon as Marius said that he could stop, he would. He would never see her again, too afraid that she would find out that everything had been a lie. Enjolras rested his forehead on the steering wheel. He was an asshole.

His phone beeped inside his pocket and he moved to get it slowly. He felt his chest tighten when he realized that it was a text from Éponine.

_Forgot to ask: Can you help me with an essay about poverty this Monday? You're the only one who will be honest with me._

He closed his eyes and rested his head back on the backrest. _You're the only one who will be honest with me._ If she only knew what her words did to him. He let out a sigh and texted back an affirmative. He was sure that at that moment, he was the most despicable human being on earth.

* * *

That night, she fell asleep with her phone over her chest, opened to the last text he had sent her. They met that Monday at the Musain, he helped her (which she was sure was something for which she would never be able to thank him enough) and after that they stayed for an hour or two, just talking. This ritual continued for approximately a week. He would go visit her at the library with the excuse of returning a book, but then they would begin talking and time would fly, the book forgotten over the counter. Although Éponine was oblivious to the reason why Enjolras continued to look for her, he on the other hand, was beginning to question whether he was doing it just to fulfill the deal or if he really was interested now. He was a noble man, and knew that playing with a person's feelings was wrong, even if sometimes he couldn't control how he acted or what he said. Grantaire had said once that he needed to learn to control what he was saying, because not everyone was made of marble like him.

Éponine was still a bit reluctant at accepting to go out with him, even when their almost daily visits to the Coffee Shop near campus were almost like dates should be. She didn't know if they were friends, acquaintances or just students getting to know each other. Although deep within her she wanted desperately to say yes to his invitations of going out, the rational part of her head continued to scream that it was a bad idea. During that time she also noticed that Cosette was growing close with the freckled student, Marius it was? While Éponine spent time with Enjolras, her sister would hang out with Marius, and wouldn't return to their home until Éponine sent her a text letting her now that she was on her way. She knew that Cosette was the one who was enjoying every available moment with her…well, she honestly didn't know what Marius and Cosette were, but judging by the way they looked at each other, Éponine knew that soon the blonde would be arguing with Valjean once more.

While she worried about her sister, she also had half of her thoughts focused on a certain student. Somehow, Enjolras was managing to occupy and infiltrate her thoughts most of the time. Although she tried hard to focus on her lectures and work, she found herself eager to meet him later at the Coffee Shop. She kept telling herself that she was not developing "feelings" towards him. Nope, she was just curious about him, like she was with any other Law students she had met (which were none). When Friday arrived, she was in her room finishing her homework when she heard the distinct sound of Cosette's cries. She sighed, knowing that probably it was because of that party. Although Enjolras kept pressing her to go with him, she didn't give in. But she had totally forgotten about the fact that Cosette would have wanted to go.

Closing her notebook, she hopped out of the bed and walked out of her room, the sound of voices growing louder as she approached the stairs.

"Come on, daddy! It's just a party!" Cosette pleaded, her musical voice sounding desperate.

Éponine walked down the stairs and found Cosette pouting, arms crossed over her chest. She was wearing a beautiful red dress, her hair up in a simple up-do. She looked stunning, probably Marius would die of a heart attack when he saw her. On the other side, Valjean was standing in front of her, arms crossed and a stern expression in his face. On second thought, she decided that it would be best to not get in the middle of their fight, so she decided to return to her room. Unluckily, she forgot about the loose floorboard that creaked under her weigh. She cursed internally and slowly turned around, just in time to see two pair of eyes fixing on her.

"Do you know anything about a party?" he demanded, looking at the brunette expectantly.

Éponine shrugged and walked down the stairs, making her way to the kitchen. Trying to not feel guilty by the look Cosette had given her, she kept walking.

"Everyone's going to be there!" Cosette whined.

"Éponine is not going, you're not going" Valjean stated simply.

That made Éponine halt to a stop. She turned around slowly to see Cosette bolting to her side, her big blue eyes glinting with unshed tears.

"Come on, 'Ponine!" the blonde begged "Do this for me! Try a college party just once! Be just like everybody else for one day! Just forget about your silly beliefs or whatever and enjoy life! Be a good sister!"

Éponine rolled her eyes "It's just a dumb party."

"Just one night, 'Ponine" Cosette implored sadly, taking hold of the brunette's hand "Just this time, I swear I'll never ask anything like this again. Please, do this for me."

Éponine stared at her, biting her lower lip in frustration. She hated when Cosette used her silly and stupidly adorable doe eyes to make her do whatever she wanted. Although Éponine was a tough girl, she had a soft spot for Cosette. She had been her first true friend, but not only that, she had become her sister. Letting out a sigh, she averted her gaze from the blonde and shook her head.

"Fine, I'll go." She stated dryly "But I have nothing to wear-"

Her sentence died in her lips as Cosette tackled her in a tight embrace, surprisingly strong judging by her petite frame. The blonde laughed joyously as Éponine hugged her back awkwardly.

"You can borrow some of my clothes" Cosette chirped, not wanting anything more than to make her sister go to the party with her, she had never seen Éponine go to one of these events, and by having her and Marius, she was absolutely sure that it would be the best night of her life.

Valjean stared as the two girls disappeared up the stairs. With a soft sigh, he turned back and returned to the living room, picking up the book he had left. Éponine was a good girl, and although she seemed sometimes cold and distant, he knew that the girl was capable of doing anything to make the ones she loved happy. Minutes passed as he continued to read, not aware of the torment Éponine was enduring inside Cosette's bedroom. When the clock struck nine thirty, a soft knock was heard on the door. Confused, Valjean stood up and went to open it. Behind it stood a young man, curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Despite his angelical appearance, his expression was stony and unwavering.

"Good night, Monsieur" the young man greeted politely with a subtle nod "I'm Enjolras-"

"She's not ready yet" Valjean stated severely, scanning the young man from head to toe "She's helping Éponine upstairs."

Enjolras let out a soft chuckle before running a hand through his hair "Oh no, Monsieur, I think you got it wrong. I came here to pick up _Éponine_."

Valjean stared at the young man mutely, surprise clearly written all over his expression. He of course had noticed that his little girls had grown to become two beautiful women, and of course he knew they would catch the eye of many men. He always believed that the first time a boy would've come knocking on the door looking for one of the girls it would probably be for Cosette. But as always, the brunette had managed to surprise him once more. The one who had sworn to never date, had been the one who was going to date first. Although a quiet voice in his head told him that probably this was Cosette's plan, Valjean ignored it. Before he was able to give the young man a proper answer, the soft creak of the steps returned him back to reality as a soft voice sounded behind him.

"Enjolras?" Éponine asked confusedly, making Valjean turn around and walk towards her, leaving Enjolras standing on the threshold. "What are you doing here?"

The blonde clenched his jaw tightly. Despite his attempts of not staring, he couldn't seem to stop himself. He had always thought that Éponine was attractive, not to say beautiful. She was more than beautiful. His heart stopped for a fraction of second as his eyes fell on her. But he wasn't going to tell her what he thought, she didn't have to know. He believed that she looked breathtaking with that white dress which accentuated her tiny waist, her hair pulled back in a messy bun and her eyes glowing under the light. He would never admit that for the first time in all his life, a woman had left him speechless. Instead, he cleared his throat and gave her a nod.

"Nine thirty, right?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

She shook her head in disbelief. Although her eyes were fixed on the man, she could still feel Valjean's scrutinizing gaze. Not knowing exactly what moved her to, she walked and placed a soft kiss on her father's cheek before hurrying to the door. She grabbed Enjolras' hand and forced him to walk quickly with her away from the house. Ignoring the current of electricity running through her fingers, she tugged at his hand tighter and made him walk faster. She let go of him as they reached his car, standing in front of the passenger's door and waiting for him to unlock it. Growing impatient with every passing second, she turned her face to send him a dreadful glare, getting angrier when she realized that he was smirking at her. He was mocking her.

"Would you mind?" she questioned sarcastically, waving a hand towards the still closed door.

He let out a chuckle "Not at all."

* * *

He actually had no idea how his night had come to end like this. At first, she had spent every single second trying to avoid him. Apparently she was mad at him for making her go to this stupid party. Enjolras had sat down, a drink in his hand and decided to just stare at the sea of people passing by. He had actually fulfilled part of the deal: he had made Éponine go to the party, hadn't he? Marius had never specified that he actually _needed_ to be with the girl. Not that he didn't want to, of course he would enjoy engaging her in conversation about anything, and even discussing the weather with Éponine was interesting. But he was actually pretty sure that _she_ was the one who didn't want to see _him. _

He had tried to find her among the multitude, but she was quicker than him. Whenever he caught sight of a brown and white flash, he would turn around immediately, hoping to find her there, but instead of meeting her eyes, he would sadly realize that she was already hurrying out of the room. Trying to ignore the nagging feeling that he didn't need to be with her, he tried to stop himself from attempting to find her. She didn't want to be found. They caught each other's eye through the crowd at moments, both of them looking curiously at the other, he tried to look as apologetic as he could, she would only sent him a glare. It was strange how he could understand what she meant with just a quick glance, it was her way of saying that she wasn't having a good time. But it wasn't until he noticed the unmistakable bottle of beer held tightly in her hand that he approached to her.

"What is this?" he frowned as she took a large gulp from the bottle, which only caused her to cough from its bitter flavor.

"I'm getting drunk" she answered sarcastically "Isn't that what you're supposed to do at a party?"

He stared at her blankly before rolling his eyes almost imperceptibly "I don't know. I say do what you want to do."

"Funny. You're the only one."

And with that she got lost into the crowd, the bottle held tightly. He frowned as she walked away without another word to him. He couldn't understand why she was acting that way, was it really that bad to go to a party with him? He knew that he wasn't funny nor entertaining, but to simply ignore him? Feeling a little hurt, he sighed and returned to his seat, continuing his observations of the dunk crowd. He could see Courfeyrac flirting unabashedly with a pretty girl, and surprisingly, the girl was flirting back. He also noticed Combeferre standing at the opposite corner with Jehan, both of them looking a little bit tipsy. He spent a long time just scanning the crowd, a bottle in his hand, just that this had remained untouched. He was beginning to consider leaving, perhaps Marius could return Éponine to her house, because he actually didn't believed that the brunette would be willing to get inside his car.

"Look what we have here." Grantaire put his bottle down and gave him a smirk "Has Juliet left her Romeo alone?"

Enjolras rolled his eyes. Of all the Amis, Grantaire was the one who could control his alcohol the most, but that didn't stop him from bothering anyone who was around him. When Grantaire noticed that the blonde wasn't paying him enough attention, he cleared his throat and leaned closer to him.

"You better go for her" he muttered with a mischievous grin, but despite his smirk, Enjolras noticed the worry in his eyes. "You have to return her in one piece, right?"

And with those words, he left. Enjolras frowned in confusion, what did he mean? Just when he was about to ignore the Art student's advice, he heard the unmistakable sound of cheers and what appeared to be wolf-whistles coming from the kitchen. He stood up, a part of him curious and the other dreading that he might have known what was going on inside. It wasn't until that moment that he realized that he hadn't seen Éponine for a long time now. Longer than those few times he had seen her. A knot formed in his stomach as he hurried his steps, pushing people and bumping others, earning a few harsh words in return. But he wasn't aware of all of that, his eyes scanning the crowd, trying to find a flash of brown and white, a bright smile and dimples.

He looked around for her, growing anxious when he failed to see her. He was hoping to bump into her. Cursing internally for letting her go alone all over the place, he realized that he had never felt that knot in his stomach before, the need to know that she was alright. But they were at a college party, and the fact that this was probably her first party made him worry even more. When he finally reached the kitchen, his breath caught in his throat. The scene unfolding in front of him was nothing like anything he would have expected: Éponine was standing on the table, an audience gathered around her as they cheered her. She was swaying her hips seductively, her hair hanging loosely over her shoulders, her up-do ruined. He caught sight of her flushed cheeks and glassy eyes, and just by that Enjolras could tell that she was drunk. He looked at the crowd, noticing that the majority were guys. A rush of anger and frustration swept over him as he noticed the way they were staring at the brunette, who was dancing provocatively before them.

Enjolras watched this go on for a while before he could no longer stand it. In a few short strides, he reached the crowd, and pushing hard to make his way to the edge of the table, he felt the furious thump of his heart inside his chest, his fists clenching tightly. As soon as he reached her, he tried to take hold of her hand, but in that moment she decided to tangle them in her dark chocolate waves. Trying to stop himself from staring at her, he looked away in frustration. The way her body swayed and her hair danced around her was intoxicating him. He wasn't sure if this was her first time drinking, but for the reaction it had had on her, he was pretty sure it was. He groaned internally. This was all his fault. She might still be able to remember what was happening in the morning, and he knew that probably she would hate him. The Éponine he knew wouldn't have done what this Éponine was doing, not even in a million years. The look in the guys' eyes was something that was beginning to ignite a fire inside his chest, the terrible need to punch every single one of them and drag her out of there. If only she could've realized what she was doing and the way that made men react…she would've probably slapped all of them. She would have a terrible hangover the next day, but he still hoped that she wouldn't remember anything..

"Éponine, what are you doing?" he asked, his voice loud enough so she could hear it above the deafening music "Get down from there!"

The brunette laughed overexcitedly, continuing her moves, ignoring him completely.

Something inside of him snapped. He didn't want to be there, he hated parties, he hated having to deal with a bunch of drunk guys and their stupid sense of humor. But most of all, he hated that _he_ had been the one willing to go to the party, and not only that, he had actually _wanted _to go. Although he would never admit the real reason why it had happened. It definitely had a lot to do with the beautiful woman standing on the table, dancing like she had never danced before. He knew that she didn't like parties either, she had told him, and there was this glint in her eyes the first time she said it that he couldn't identify. Sadness? Fear? So then he had to go on and do what Marius had asked him to, he had practically forced her into this party. At first he thought that it would probably be fun, being with her and talking about anything, making fun of the rest of the guests, eating some pretzels and smiling. He thought that perhaps he would be able to understand what was going on with him. But everything had turned out exactly the opposite and it was all his fault. He didn't want this to happen. So he did the only thing he could: he grabbed her wrist and tugged her down.

Éponine slipped and he moved as fast as he could to catch her, the brunette falling into his arms. He was expecting her to start yelling at him or something the usual Éponine would do. But instead, her head lolled back and she began laughing. Enjolras let out a sigh and helped her get onto her feet as she continued to laugh at apparently nothing.

"Are you okay?" he asked, somehow relieved as the crowd began to disperse.

"I'm fine." She frowned almost imperceptibly and tried to stand up, only to trip over her own feet and almost fall down once more. Enjolras grabbed her tightly by the waist and sighed.

"You are not fine." He stated, brushing some strands of hair from her face and pulling her arm over his shoulders, the other hand still gripping her waist "Let's go."

As fast as he could with the inebriated girl in his arms, they made their way out of the apartment. A part of him was relieved that Marius and Cosette didn't see them, although he would've liked them to see what they had provoked. If it not were for their silly game, Éponine never would have had to come to the party, she wouldn't have to endure a terrible hangover the next day and she would never have met him. But as the fresh air of hallway hit their faces, Enjolras thought that he would still rather be with the brunette than inside that apartment full of drunks. He let her lean against his body for support as they stood inside the elevator. Despite his attempts of not enjoying her closeness, it seemed he couldn't stop himself, tilting his head ever so slightly and inhaling in the sweet fragrance of her hair, the warmth of her body too comforting for his own good.

As soon as they were out of the elevator and of the building, he walked her to the park in front of the building. He had learned (the hard way) that when people drank enormous amount of liquor, it was just a matter of time until they got sick. She let him support her as they made their way to the swings.

"This is so patronizing" she said casually, tilting her head to look up at him.

He groaned as he tightened his grip on her when she lost her balance "Leave it to you to use big words when you're highly intoxicated."

"I don't think so" she answered in a sing-song voice before shoving him away and trying to walk on her own, failing miserably when her knees buckled.

He hurried to her side and grabbed her once more, this time holding her waist and hand. He was not used to this Éponine, so carefree and childish at the same time. He was more used to the reserved and calm Éponine, the one who could kill with just one witty comment or make you burst out in laughter at the other.

"Why are you doing this?" Her voice was softer this time, as if the old Éponine, the sober one, had returned.

He looked down to her, his lips parted with surprise as he realized that he actually didn't know what to say. So he answered the first thing that came to his mind "Because I care about you."

He planted her firmly on a swing before taking the seat beside her. They stayed silent for a while, the only sounds their heavy breathings. The fresh air apparently seemed to wear the alcohol off, the dazed smile disappearing from her lips as she stared off into the distance. It wasn't until then that he realized what he had told her: he had said that he cared about her. Enjolras wasn't the kind of guy that easily said what he was feeling, even more when he himself couldn't understand it. What was happening to him? This was only a deal he had with Marius; as soon as he got what he wanted he would leave Éponine alone. Although he now doubted that he actually wanted to. He moved his gaze to her, a knot in his stomach tightening at the sight of her. High cheekbones and full lips, outlined by the silver light of the moon, dark brown hair dancing with the wind, golden eyes sparkling with the stars. He was lost.

"Why don't you like parties?" he questioned, breaking the silence at last.

"Huh?" she muttered, her now barely glassy eyes fixing on him "I just…I don't like being someone who I'm not, that's what parties are all about. Just look at this stupid dress" She mused fisting her skirt. She remained silent for a long moment until she spoke again "I don't want them to think that I'm a freak, I guess."

"I think you look beautiful in that dress. But then, you always look beautiful. And you are not a freak" he assured her, placing his hand over the chain of her swing, meeting her wide eyes. "And if not liking a party means that you are a freak, I guess we can be freaks together."

She let out a giggle before resting her head over the chain "Well, you know what they say…"

He chuckled and looked up to the sky "What do they say?"

He waited for her answer, only that it never came. Confused, he gazed down to her and found her bending over. Enjolras supported her petite frame with one arm and held her hair away from her face with the other as she expulsed all the alcohol from her system. He rubbed her back with soothing circles, feeling even guiltier than before. When she was done, she straightened and rested her head against the chain, her eyes closing and her lips parted as she breathed. He waited for her to open them once more, but after a while, he began growing worried.

"Éponine? Éponine, come on, wake up." He stood from his swing and knelt by her side, stroking her cheek softly, alternating it with some gentle pats "Open your eyes."

Her eyes fluttered open and he let out a relieved sigh, sitting back on his swing as she straightened slightly, her hand still trapped in his. He still found this drunken Éponine confusing, as if she was letting all her defenses down. Enjolras felt goosebumps all over his body as she stared at him as if she was seeing him for the first time in her life. And he couldn't help but to stare back.

"Hey" she murmured, her eyes sparkling under the lights of the sky, a soft smile in her lips "Your eyes have a little green in them."

Enjolras couldn't stop himself. The curves of his lips turned up slowly, until he chuckled softly and then, a bright smile appeared. It was the first time he let himself be lost in someone else. She smiled back, her dimples showing. Even if he knew that she probably wouldn't remember what happened tonight, he didn't care. Slowly, he leaned forward and placed his lips over the soft skin of her forehead. He felt her shiver and then let out a sigh, leaning into his touch. They stayed like this for what seemed to be hours, even days. He pulled apart and looked down to her, only to find her looking already at him, her eyes sparkling with something he couldn't identify. And at that moment, he realized that it was already too late to escape. He was lost.

_Damn you, Marius Pontmercy._


End file.
